G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra- Zartan

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra is the next installment of my childhood to get the feature film treatment with the film's release August 7. Because the 80s were such a long time ago and you might not remember who was in your staged Joe/Cobra fights in your backyard, Omnicomic is profiling each character in the upcoming film. So sit back, read on and get reacquainted with some old friends. Real Name: Unknown Aliases: Too many to list. First Appearance: G.I. Joe #24, Marvel Comics Actor: Arnold Vosloo, of The Mummy fame. Specialties: Disguise, Infiltration, Espionage, Assassination. Background: A mercenary to the core, Zartan leads a small group of terrorist-saboteurs called the Dreadknoks. As a rule, the Dreadknoks have no particular love for Cobra per se- the terrorist organization is simply the current top bidder for their services. When money is involved, Zartan’s loyalties change faster than the wind- but if things get too hot, he’s unlikely to buckle down in the trenches and stick it out. Of course, such an attitude is very much in keeping with Zartan attitude- mainly, identity-switching. Between makeup and technology, Zartan has a host of methods to alter and augment his appearance. Guerilla warfare, especially in difficult terrain such as swampland and jungle, and kind of a Dreadknok calling card too- in combat, then, Zartan has usually taken steps to help himself blend in with his environment. For reasons not entirely clear, Zartan even seems to have the ability to alter his skin color at will. You can imagine why it would be dangerous to run into this guy in a dark alley. Bright sunlight, however, is uncomfortable for him and will easily disable him. Zartan is also an expert ventriloquist and linguist (he knows over twenty languages AND corresponding dialects for each one- a handy skill when you’re in the gun-for-hire racket). The end result, here, is that this is one tough mercenary to catch when he doesn’t want to get caught. Zartan is also a high-class escape artist and contortionist. Quote: "A gem of that size answers...all my questions." Check out the other profiles for the characters in the movie. And then make sure to choose a side. Baroness Breaker Cobra Commander Cover Girl Destro Duke General Hawk Heavy Duty Ripcord Scarlett Snake Eyes Storm Shadow

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  1. Hey All:

    A fellow Arnold Vosloo Fan is visiting me from WA and we just bought up the last two Zartan dolls from Toys "R" Us. They did a decent job on the likeness - considering the doll is so small. Chomping at the bit to see AV do another Stephen Sommers creation.

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