Zarana
Encyclopedia
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 (or sometimes red) 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 military specialists. Unlike Zartan (who has a mysterious ability to appear as someone different) Zarana relies on masks, wigs, makeup and costumes and is a world-class method actress literally becoming the object of her impersonation to the extent that she not only thinks but reacts as they would. Her file card bio states that she has the same ability to change skin color as her brothers but this was never seen or portrayed in either comic or cartoon incarnations.
, Zarana was issued in a second wave of Dreadnok action figure
s from Hasbro
in 1986. She carries a weapon that looked like a shotgun with a circular saw blade attached at the end. This weapon was never seen in the cartoon or comic book. She had several features in the comic, primarily in issues that introduced Dreadnok vehicles produced by Hasbro.
Zarana was featured in the Marvel G.I. Joe comics and in the beginning was depicted as being somewhat cheap when it came to money. After she leads a successful rescue of Zartan
by impersonating Scarlett, she tells her brother that he owes her for a number of expenses related to the rescue operation including that of the red wig she used in her disguise. Pursued by a large team of G.I. Joes, she and the Dreadnoks escape. They are technically tracked down by Sgt. Slaughter but her disguise skills help fool the man into believing he had found a simple gas station.
She was featured in issues #69 through #71. In order to escape the fictional war-torn country of Sierra Gordo, she and fellow Dreadnoks
Monkeywrench
and Thrasher
hijack a G.I. Joe transport plane. This is accomplished by Zarana threatening to kill some of the civilians who are pleading with the Joes for a ride out. The Joes, Crazylegs
, Wild-Bill
and Maverick are forced to launch out with her, her allies and the refugee/hostages. The plane ends up shot down, though all survive. In an effort to escape the country, Zarana actually works with the Joe team, the Dreadnoks, and the refugees. In one instance, she punches Thrasher's broken arm in order to get him to be even more violent against a large group of adversaries.
Zarana and the Dreadnoks would work with the Joes again, like much of Cobra, in the aftermath of the Cobra Civil War. The stress gets to her, leading to a memorable, vicious fist-fight with Lady Jaye, that ends in a draw.
Zarana is a fearless fighter and risk taker. She took on a lot of responsibilities for Cobra after Destro
, Zartan and the Baroness
left, effectively becoming Cobra Commander's second in command. She was captured by Firefly
, but was rescued by Slice and Dice who found her by accident. She is reunited with Cobra. As revealed in her complaints, she had spent months in a dungeon on Cobra Island
, abandoned there with Road Pig
and Cesspool. She was partly responsible for recruiting Scarlett (although Scarlett turned out to be a double agent). After Dr. Mindbender was revived by Cobra Commander, he "cut Zarana loose" and she returns to the Dreadnoks.
. She might have been captured before her escape, but she had recognized two of the men following her, long-time Joe veterans.
Until recently, Zarana was in charge of the Chicago-based chapter of the Dreadnoks
. She was in line to succeed Zartan but they had a falling-out after the appearance of Zartan's daughter Zanya.
Zarana leads a Dreadnoks
/Cobra squad against an out of control Battle Android Trooper. She loses several Alley Viper
s. A grenade thrown by a G.I. Joe squad injures her, though she is still mobile. Zartan orders Zanya to leave with her; they try and escape in a Cobra Coil motorcycle but circumstances change and they are arrested with most of the other Dreadnoks.
In G.I. Joe: America's Elite, the Phoenix Guard member Friday was revealed to be Zarana. It is not yet known how she came to be a part of that group. She was taken into custody following the Guard's attack on the Rock, and imprisoned in "The Coffin", a maximum security penitentiary located in Greenland. She later escaped imprisonment during Tomax's raid on the facility. At the conclusion of the World War III storyline, Zarana is revealed to have escaped the mass defeat and capture of Cobra's forces, and is back with the Dreadnoks (who are now sans Zartan).
The comic series Dreadnoks Declassified reveals that Zarana's given name is Zoe.
develop romantic feelings for each other. At the end of the episode, Zartan jokes with her: "Hey, Zarana, I’ve been thinking! Maybe you ought to quit the Dreadnoks, go marry that wimp, get a house in the suburbs, have kids." to which she responds by shooting in he and the Dreadnoks direction. The episode ends showing both Mainframe and Zarana, miles away looking at the moon, perhaps pondering the same question. She was briefly reunited with Mainframe in "Grey Hairs And Growing Pains", where Zarana supplied her paramour with the antidote that would restore him (and the other Joes) to their proper ages.
, Zarana impersonates a blonde woman named Heather, who gets Lt. Falcon
to give her a "tour" of the place where Serpentor is being held. She uses mini-cameras in her earrings to take pictures of the prison. Her identity was confirmed to the viewers, when the Dreadnoks arrive at the lake Zarana as Heather stops at. The devices Zarana plants in G.I. Joe's base helps Cobra/Cobra-la break Serpentor out. When Falcon and others sneak into Cobra-La, Zarana is knocked out by Jinx.
cartoon, Zartan does not appear but his sister Zarana does, and the Dreadnoks are still working for Cobra, so it can be assumed Zartan is still around. Destro had left Baroness for Zarana as the two were dating during the "Operation: Dragonfire" miniseries. When Cobra Commander disposed of Serpentor, he told Destro to get back together with Baroness which ended with Destro sending Zarana down the trap door.
In the episode "The Mind Mangler", Zarana disguises herself as the daughter of a Cobra operative named Mind Mangler (in reality a robot). Zarana tries to interrogate Duke, but Sky patrol comes to his rescue. Zarana accompanies them, but she is discovered and has to retreat.
, pronounced Jhurna or Tarana. Though the name can be found written alternatively as Jharna, Zarana is the most common spelling. The word Jharna itself means house spring in Hindi/Urdu. The word Tarana means a song of praise Urdu
.
Zartan
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 Zandar
Zandar
Zandar is an adversary in the cartoon, toy and comic book line of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero fictional universe.-Profile:Zandar is the brother of Zartan 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...
in the fiction setting of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
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...
. She has short naturally auburn hair that has been dyed pink (or sometimes red) 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 military specialists. Unlike Zartan (who has a mysterious ability to appear as someone different) Zarana relies on masks, wigs, makeup and costumes and is a world-class method actress literally becoming the object of her impersonation to the extent that she not only thinks but reacts as they would. Her file card bio states that she has the same ability to change skin color as her brothers but this was never seen or portrayed in either comic or cartoon incarnations.
Toys
Along with her twin brother ZandarZandar
Zandar is an adversary in the cartoon, toy and comic book line of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero fictional universe.-Profile:Zandar is the brother of Zartan 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...
, Zarana was issued in a second wave of Dreadnok action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s from Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
in 1986. She carries a weapon that looked like a shotgun with a circular saw blade attached at the end. This weapon was never seen in the cartoon or comic book. She had several features in the comic, primarily in issues that introduced Dreadnok vehicles produced by Hasbro.
Marvel Comics
In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, she first appeared in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #50 (August 1986).Zarana was featured in the Marvel G.I. Joe comics and in the beginning was depicted as being somewhat cheap when it came to money. After she leads a successful rescue of Zartan
Zartan
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...
by impersonating Scarlett, she tells her brother that he owes her for a number of expenses related to the rescue operation including that of the red wig she used in her disguise. Pursued by a large team of G.I. Joes, she and the Dreadnoks escape. They are technically tracked down by Sgt. Slaughter but her disguise skills help fool the man into believing he had found a simple gas station.
She was featured in issues #69 through #71. In order to escape the fictional war-torn country of Sierra Gordo, she and fellow 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...
Monkeywrench
Monkeywrench (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...
and Thrasher
Thrasher (G.I. Joe)
Thrasher 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 the Dreadnoks' Thunder Machine driver and debuted in 1986.-Profile:...
hijack a G.I. Joe transport plane. This is accomplished by Zarana threatening to kill some of the civilians who are pleading with the Joes for a ride out. The Joes, Crazylegs
Crazylegs (G.I. Joe)
Crazylegs 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 assault trooper and debuted in 1987.-Profile:His real name is David O. Thomas, and his rank is that of corporal E-4...
, Wild-Bill
Wild Bill (G.I. Joe)
Wild Bill is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series of the 1980s.-Profile:According to Wild Bill's original file card, his real name is William S. Hardy, and his rank is that of army chief warrant officer CW-4...
and Maverick are forced to launch out with her, her allies and the refugee/hostages. The plane ends up shot down, though all survive. In an effort to escape the country, Zarana actually works with the Joe team, the Dreadnoks, and the refugees. In one instance, she punches Thrasher's broken arm in order to get him to be even more violent against a large group of adversaries.
Zarana and the Dreadnoks would work with the Joes again, like much of Cobra, in the aftermath of the Cobra Civil War. The stress gets to her, leading to a memorable, vicious fist-fight with Lady Jaye, that ends in a draw.
Zarana is a fearless fighter and risk taker. She took on a lot of responsibilities for Cobra after Destro
Destro
Laird James McCullen Destro XXIV, usually referred to simply as Destro, is a fictional villain from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of military-themed toys from Hasbro. He is portrayed by Christopher Eccleston in the 2009 live-action film, G.I...
, Zartan and 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...
left, effectively becoming Cobra Commander's second in command. She was captured by Firefly
Firefly (G.I. Joe)
Firefly is a fictional character in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero universe. He is a mercenary who works for the Cobra Organization as a saboteur.-Profile:...
, but was rescued by Slice and Dice who found her by accident. She is reunited with Cobra. As revealed in her complaints, she had spent months in a dungeon 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...
, abandoned there with Road Pig
Road 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...
and Cesspool. She was partly responsible for recruiting Scarlett (although Scarlett turned out to be a double agent). After Dr. Mindbender was revived by Cobra Commander, he "cut Zarana loose" and she returns to the Dreadnoks.
Devil's Due
Zarana makes a big return in Devil's Due Productions' G.I. Joe comic series, successfully ferrying vital technological devices to Cobra, with the assistance of the Crimson TwinsTomax and Xamot
Tomax and Xamot, also called the Crimson Twins or Crimson Guard Commanders, are the code names of identical mirror twin brothers in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero universe...
. She might have been captured before her escape, but she had recognized two of the men following her, long-time Joe veterans.
Until recently, Zarana was in charge of the Chicago-based chapter 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...
. She was in line to succeed Zartan but they had a falling-out after the appearance of Zartan's daughter Zanya.
Zarana leads a 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...
/Cobra squad against an out of control Battle Android Trooper. She loses several Alley Viper
Alley Viper
Alley Vipers are part of the G.I. Joe action figure line produced by Hasbro. They have appeared in the related comic books produced by Marvel Comics and Devil's Due. Alley Vipers are fictional soldiers in the Cobra Organization. They specialize in urban combat and SWAT tactics.- Action Figure :The...
s. A grenade thrown by a G.I. Joe squad injures her, though she is still mobile. Zartan orders Zanya to leave with her; they try and escape in a Cobra Coil motorcycle but circumstances change and they are arrested with most of the other Dreadnoks.
In G.I. Joe: America's Elite, the Phoenix Guard member Friday was revealed to be Zarana. It is not yet known how she came to be a part of that group. She was taken into custody following the Guard's attack on the Rock, and imprisoned in "The Coffin", a maximum security penitentiary located in Greenland. She later escaped imprisonment during Tomax's raid on the facility. At the conclusion of the World War III storyline, Zarana is revealed to have escaped the mass defeat and capture of Cobra's forces, and is back with the Dreadnoks (who are now sans Zartan).
The comic series Dreadnoks Declassified reveals that Zarana's given name is Zoe.
Sunbow
Zarana first appears in the G.I. Joe episode "Arise Serpentor, Arise" voiced by Lisa Raggio. She and Zandar join their brother Zartan when he is auditioning for new members of the Dreadnoks. In the episode "Computer Complications", Zarana goes undercover at a Joe base as "Carol Weidler". During that time, she and MainframeMain Frame (G.I. Joe)
Mainframe is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a toy created by Hasbro. He appeared in both the comic books and the animated series.-Fictional character biography:...
develop romantic feelings for each other. At the end of the episode, Zartan jokes with her: "Hey, Zarana, I’ve been thinking! Maybe you ought to quit the Dreadnoks, go marry that wimp, get a house in the suburbs, have kids." to which she responds by shooting in he and the Dreadnoks direction. The episode ends showing both Mainframe and Zarana, miles away looking at the moon, perhaps pondering the same question. She was briefly reunited with Mainframe in "Grey Hairs And Growing Pains", where Zarana supplied her paramour with the antidote that would restore him (and the other Joes) to their proper ages.
G.I. Joe: The Movie
In 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...
, Zarana impersonates a blonde woman named Heather, who gets Lt. Falcon
Lt. Falcon
Lt. Falcon is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is a green beret with the G.I. Joe Team and debuted in 1987.-Profile:...
to give her a "tour" of the place where Serpentor is being held. She uses mini-cameras in her earrings to take pictures of the prison. Her identity was confirmed to the viewers, when the Dreadnoks arrive at the lake Zarana as Heather stops at. The devices Zarana plants in G.I. Joe's base helps Cobra/Cobra-la break Serpentor out. When Falcon and others sneak into Cobra-La, Zarana is knocked out by Jinx.
DiC
In the DIC-produced G.I. JoeG.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1989 TV series)
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a half-hour American animated television series based on the successful toyline from Hasbro and the comic book series from Marvel Comics. The series was produced by DIC Entertainment and ran from 1989 to 1991....
cartoon, Zartan does not appear but his sister Zarana does, and the Dreadnoks are still working for Cobra, so it can be assumed Zartan is still around. Destro had left Baroness for Zarana as the two were dating during the "Operation: Dragonfire" miniseries. When Cobra Commander disposed of Serpentor, he told Destro to get back together with Baroness which ended with Destro sending Zarana down the trap door.
In the episode "The Mind Mangler", Zarana disguises herself as the daughter of a Cobra operative named Mind Mangler (in reality a robot). Zarana tries to interrogate Duke, but Sky patrol comes to his rescue. Zarana accompanies them, but she is discovered and has to retreat.
Other works
- Zarana'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 to the left of ZandarZandarZandar is an adversary in the cartoon, toy and comic book line of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero fictional universe.-Profile:Zandar is the brother of Zartan 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...
and 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 "the lovely Zarana, Zartan's sister, sharpening her knife and dreaming of warm flesh". - She is mentioned as a strong female character in the non-fiction novelNon-fiction novelThe non-fiction novel is a literary genre which, broadly speaking, depicts real historical figures and actual events narrated woven together with fictitious allegations and using the storytelling techniques of fiction. The non-fiction novel is an otherwise loosely-defined and flexible genre...
'Action chicks: new images of tough women in popular culture'.
Name Origin
Zarana is also a name for girls from IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, pronounced Jhurna or Tarana. Though the name can be found written alternatively as Jharna, Zarana is the most common spelling. The word Jharna itself means house spring in Hindi/Urdu. The word Tarana means a song of praise Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
.
External links
- Zarana at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page