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Zarana is a
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...
al
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to Theoph ...
from the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books and animated series. She is affiliated with
Cobra COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...
as a member of the
Dreadnoks COBRA (sometimes referred to as Cobra Command) is a fictional terrorist organization and the nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team in the Hasbro action figure toyline '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' and '' G.I. Joe: Sigma 6'', as well as in related ...
.


Profile

Zarana is the younger sister of
Zartan Zartan is a fictional character from the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books, and animated series. He is one of the main villains in the franchise as the leader of the Dreadnoks, and a mercenary who often worked directly for ...
and fraternal twin of
Zandar Zandar is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is affiliated with Cobra as a member of the Dreadnoks. He is portrayed by Matt Gerald in the 2013 film '' G.I. Joe: Retaliatio ...
.''Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook'' #3 (August, 2017) A professional assassin, she is an expert in small arms, explosives and edged weapons. Zarana is a master of disguise who can fool even the best military specialists. She relies on masks, wigs, makeup and costumes. She is also 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. She has short naturally auburn hair, which has been dyed pink (or sometimes red), and is usually depicted with a tattered hot pink T-shirt and blue pants, colors that match her twin brother, Zandar. She is the firstborn of the twins, and often the unequivocal leader of the two.''G.I. Joe'' vol. 3 #9 (October 2013) She supposedly also has the same ability to change skin color as her brothers, but this was never portrayed in either her comic book or cartoon incarnations. According to former G.I. Joe product manager Kirk Bozigian at the 2013 Official G.I. Joe Convention, Zarana's original filecard art was inspired by 80's punk rock singer Wendy O. Williams.


Toys

Along with her twin brother
Zandar Zandar is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is affiliated with Cobra as a member of the Dreadnoks. He is portrayed by Matt Gerald in the 2013 film '' G.I. Joe: Retaliatio ...
, Zarana was released in 1985 . 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's pink shirt was designed, by Hasbro designer Ron Rudat, to resemble Zandar's torn pink kerchief.


Comics


Marvel Comics

In the
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
''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 is a fictional character from the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books, and animated series. He is one of the main villains in the franchise as the leader of the Dreadnoks, and a mercenary who often worked directly for ...
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 COBRA (sometimes referred to as Cobra Command) is a fictional terrorist organization and the nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team in the Hasbro action figure toyline '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' and '' G.I. Joe: Sigma 6'', as well as in related ...
Monkeywrench and
Thrasher Thrashers are a New World group of passerine birds related to mockingbirds and New World catbirds. Like these, they are in the family Mimidae. There are 15 species in one large and 4 monotypic genera. These do not form a clade but are a phe ...
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 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 Lady Jaye is a fictional character in the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books and animated series. She was originally created as a character for the ''G.I. Joe'' animated series produced by Marvel Productions and Sunbow Produ ...
, that ends in a draw. Zarana is a fearless fighter and risk taker. She took on a lot of responsibilities for Cobra after
Destro Laird James McCullen Destro XXIV, usually referred to simply as Destro, is a fictional Character (arts), character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books, and cartoon series. He is the Scottish people, Scottish leader of ...
, Zartan and the
Baroness Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight ...
left, effectively becoming
Cobra Commander Cobra Commander is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' franchise. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra and the archenemy of the G.I. Joe Team. He was portrayed by Jos ...
's second in command. She was captured by
Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
, but was rescued by Slice and
Dice A die (: dice, sometimes also used as ) is a small, throwable object with marked sides that can rest in multiple positions. Dice are used for generating random values, commonly as part of tabletop games, including dice games, board games, ro ...
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 (sometimes referred to as Cobra Command) is a fictional terrorist organization and the nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team in the Hasbro action figure toyline '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' and '' G.I. Joe: Sigma 6'', as well as in related ...
, abandoned there with Road Pig and
Cesspool Cesspit, cesspool and soak pit in some contexts are terms with various meanings: they are used to describe either an underground holding tank (sealed at the bottom) or a soak pit (not sealed at the bottom). A cesspit can be used for the tempo ...
. She was partly responsible for recruiting Scarlett (although Scarlett turned out to be a double agent). After
Dr. Mindbender Doctor Mindbender, also known as Doctor Bender, is a fictional character from the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books and animated series. He is a scientist who works for the terrorist organization Cobra (G.I. Joe), Cobra; lik ...
was revived by Cobra Commander, he "cut Zarana loose" and she returns to the Dreadnoks.


Devil's Due

Zarana and her siblings grew up in a Catholic orphanage. Her older brother, Zartan, accidentally killed a boy for bullying young Zandar. As teenagers, the twins grew up on the streets of London rather than be separated to different foster homes. She and Zandar searched out their brother, Zartan, and found themselves in the outback of Australia as members of the Dreadnok biker gang. Zarana leads a
Dreadnoks COBRA (sometimes referred to as Cobra Command) is a fictional terrorist organization and the nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team in the Hasbro action figure toyline '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' and '' G.I. Joe: Sigma 6'', as well as in related ...
/Cobra squad against an out of control Battle Android Trooper. She loses several
Alley Viper The Cobra Troopers serve as the basic foot soldiers of the Cobra Organization, as part of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. They are generally depicted as legions of uniformed soldiers, nearly all of t ...
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 to escape in a Cobra Coil motorcycle, but circumstances change and they are arrested with most of the other Dreadnoks. In the ''America's Elite'' series, Cobra Commander disguises himself as White House staff member Garret Freedlowe, and tricks General Rey into leading a new elite unit called Phoenix Guard. Zarana is one of the Cobra operatives who poses as a Guard member, and is given the new codename "Friday", real name Jennifer K. Larson, born in
Hialeah, Florida Hialeah ( ; ) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. With a population of 223,109 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in Florida. It is the second largest city by population in Miami-Da ...
. Friday's specialties were infantry, heavy weapons, tracking, unit supply specialist and mechanical technician. She received basic training at Fort Jackson, and advanced infantry training at Fort Lee. She also completed the Unit Armorer School at
Fort Hood Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is currently named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. The post is located halfway between Austi ...
, the Marksman Instructor course and Airborne School at
Fort Benning Fort Benning (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve compone ...
, and the Counter-Sniper course at Camp Robinson, Arkansas. She was the team's weapons specialist, and second-in-command to General Rey. Following the Guard's attack on The Rock, Zarana is taken into custody by the Joes and imprisoned in "The Coffin", a maximum security penitentiary located in Greenland. She later escapes imprisonment alongside several others, during a raid on the facility led by Tomax. 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.


IDW

Zarana and Zandar were born in London, England, into dire poverty and were placed for adoption as toddlers. From an early age, the twins displayed anti-social behavior. As a result, they were moved from foster home to foster home, until they landed in an abusive orphanage. As teenagers, Zarana and Zandar were faced with the threat of separation, so they took to the streets to remain together, and from there, procured plane tickets to Australia, where they joined the Dreadnoks biker gang. Zarana and Zandar supply weapons to the warring Heathens motorcycle gang. A G.I. Joe strike team interrupts the transaction, telling the two to surrender. Zandar and Zarana flee, but not before realizing neither of them claimed their fee beforehand. Realizing "The One" considers them expendable, the twins make eliminating "The One" their next major priority.
Shipwreck A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. It results from the event of ''shipwrecking'', which may be intentional or unintentional. There were approximately thre ...
pursues them, telling the twins that they are outgunned and not to fire back. Zandar and Zarana respond that they must go out of sight, and use holography to conceal their motorbike as they make their escape.''G.I. Joe:'' vol. 3 #8 (September 2013) The Dreadnok twins were apprehended shortly thereafter and taken into custody.


IDW post-Revolutionaries

The Dreadnok Twins, disguised as inner Mongolian locals, Ying and Yong, lead a strike team of G.I. Joes to
Crystal Ball A crystal ball is a crystal or glass ball commonly used in fortune-telling. It is generally associated with the performance of clairvoyance and scrying through crystal gazing. Used since Antiquity, crystal balls have had a broad reputation with ...
's cult stronghold, where they were ambushed by Crystal Ball and the Dreadnoks. Zandar and Zarana sneak away some time during the battle. During the Dreadnoks' pursuit of the Joes, they were snatched away underground by Crystal Ball's summoned, large "Fatal Fluffies". Zarana and Zandar appear again with the Dreadnoks, ambushing
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
in the underground, with the intention of taking the Joes' prisoners, the Baroness and Crystal Ball.


Animated series


Sunbow

Zarana first appears in the ''
G.I. Joe ''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), A ...
'' second-season miniseries "Arise, Serpentor, Arise!", voiced by Lisa Raggio. She and Zandar join their brother Zartan when he is auditioning new members of the Dreadnoks. Zarana later steals the DNA of fictional Egyptian general Xanuth Amon-Toth, as part of Doctor Mindbender's plot to create
Serpentor Serpentor is a fictional character and a recurring antagonist from the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books, and animated series. Introduced in 1986, the character rules as Emperor over Cobra where most versions are depicted ...
. In the episode "Computer Complications", Zarana goes undercover at the G.I. Joe headquarters as "Carol Weidler" to program the robot submarines under Cobra control. Unexpectedly, she and
Mainframe A mainframe computer, informally called a mainframe or big iron, is a computer used primarily by large organizations for critical applications like bulk data processing for tasks such as censuses, industry and consumer statistics, enterpris ...
develop romantic feelings for each other, which hinders her progress. She eventually finishes her task, and also saves Mainframe's life when
Zartan Zartan is a fictional character from the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books, and animated series. He is one of the main villains in the franchise as the leader of the Dreadnoks, and a mercenary who often worked directly for ...
leaves an explosive on him. At the end of the episode, Zartan, sitting with the Dreadnoks at a campfire, mocks her as she stands off from the group, gazing at the Moon: "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." She responds by shooting in the direction of the Dreadnoks' campfire, causing them to scatter. The episode ends showing both Mainframe and Zarana, miles away from each other looking at the Moon, perhaps pondering the same question. She briefly reunites with Mainframe in "Grey Hairs And Growing Pains", in which she secretly supplies him with the antidote that would restore him (and the other Joes) to their proper ages. In "Raise the Flagg!", Cobra attempts to salvage an
antimatter In modern physics, antimatter is defined as matter composed of the antiparticles (or "partners") of the corresponding subatomic particle, particles in "ordinary" matter, and can be thought of as matter with reversed charge and parity, or go ...
pod from a crashed helicarrier of theirs. Cobra soldiers under the command of Zartan, Zarana and Zandar use an
oil platform An oil platform (also called an oil rig, offshore platform, oil production platform, etc.) is a large structure with facilities to extract and process petroleum and natural gas that lie in rock formations beneath the seabed. Many oil platforms w ...
for the operation. The three Dreadnoks flee during a battle with the Joes and are sent by Cobra Commander to recover the antimatter pod before the Joes. They are taken prisoner alongside
Roadblock A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be: * Roadworks *Temporary road closure during special events * Police chase *Robbery * Sobriety checkpoint * Protests In peaceful ...
,
Leatherneck Leatherneck is a military slang term in the U.S. for a member of the United States Marine Corps. It is generally believed to originate in the wearing of a "leather stock" that went around the neck. Its original purpose was to protect the neck fr ...
and Wet-Suit by an insane Cobra chef named B.A. LaCarre and his B.A.T.s, who force them into labor. When arguments break out among the Joes and Dreadnoks, LaCarre tries to have his B.A.T.s execute Zarana. She is briefly saved by the efforts Roadblock and Zartan, but LaCarre decides to kill Roadblock along with her. The execution is stopped by an attack on the ship, after which Zarana is helped out of a pile of wreckage by Wet Suit and says she never thought a Joe would help her except into a jail cell. The Joes, Dreadnoks and LaCarre eventually put aside their differences and hook the antimatter pod to the helicarrier's rotors, rising them out of the water. Cobra Troopers take the Dreadnoks to a chamber to recover from
decompression sickness Decompression sickness (DCS; also called divers' disease, the bends, aerobullosis, and caisson disease) is a medical condition caused by dissolved gases emerging from Solution (chemistry), solution as bubbles inside the body tissues during D ...
. In "Sins of Our Fathers", Zarana disguises herself as a woman named Chipper Dougan and hires Dial-Tone, who was apparently discharged from G.I. Joe, to design a communications system. The project is secretly intended to awaken a creature in a pit near the ruins of Destro's castle that Cobra Commander would then send to kill Serpentor. Zarana monitors Dial-Tone's activity and reports to the Joes using a voice modulator that changes her voice to that of
Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...
, who spied on Cobra's scheme and was captured. In a later scuffle with Dial-Tone for control of the machine, Zarana's cover is blown when Dial-Tone knocks her mask off.


G.I. Joe: The Movie

In '' G.I. Joe: The Movie'', Zarana impersonates a blonde woman named Heather, who convinces
Lt. Falcon Falcon (also known as Lieutenant Falcon) is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is a U.S. Army Special Forces, Green Beret with the G.I. Joe Team and debuted in 1987. Profil ...
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. Duke catches them and has
Jinx A jinx (also jynx), in popular superstition and folklore, is a curse or the attribute of attracting bad or negative luck. Examples of "jinxing" in the 21st-century press include the suggestion a ship might be "jinxed". The connection was made wi ...
escort "Heather" out of the base. Heather comments on Falcon being attractive before driving away. She stops at a lake, where she changes out of her disguise and meets with the Dreadnoks. The information from Zarana and the device she plants in G.I. Joe's base helps the Dreadnoks and Cobra-La break Serpentor out. When a group of Joes sneak into Cobra-La, Zarana is knocked out by Jinx.


DiC

Zarana appears in the DIC-produced ''
G.I. Joe ''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), A ...
'' cartoon, in which she is shown to be leading the Dreadnoks, as Zartan does not appear in the series. In this series, she is voiced by Lisa Corps. Destro has left Baroness for Zarana, and the two are dating during the "Operation: Dragonfire" miniseries. When Cobra Commander disposes of Serpentor, he tells Destro to get back together with Baroness, which ends with Destro sending Zarana down a trap door. After the miniseries, Zarana appears in the following episodes: * "Nozone Conspiracy" - she appears along with Cobra Commander,
Metal-Head Cobra is the fictional nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team in the Hasbro toylines and related media. This is an alphabetical listing of Cobra members with unique identities as well as the members of its factions. Alexander McCullen Alexander McCullen ...
and
Gnawgahyde Gnawgahyde is a fictional character from the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books and animated series of the 1980s. He is affiliated with Cobra as the Dreadnoks' poacher and debuted in 1989. Profile Gnawgahyde is an aggress ...
promoting a Cobra sunscreen. * "Injustice and the Cobra Way" - Zarana and Cobra Commander (disguised as a superhero) capture the female president to take over the White House. * "General Confusion" - Zarana disguises herself as "Dr. Deborah Carday", a member of the U.S. Senate. She then gives the G.I. Joe Team massive expenses, which come under review by the government, while she also tricks
Big Ben Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower itself, which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. Originally named the Clock Tower, it ...
into falling in love with her. * "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 the 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
Zandar Zandar is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is affiliated with Cobra as a member of the Dreadnoks. He is portrayed by Matt Gerald in the 2013 film '' G.I. Joe: Retaliatio ...
and Monkeywrench 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 novel The non-fiction novel is a literary genre that, broadly speaking, depicts non-fictional elements, such as real historical figures and actual events, woven together with fictitious conversations and uses the storytelling techniques of fiction. The ...
'Action chicks: new images of tough women in popular culture'.


References


External links


Zarana
at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page {{G.I. Joe Comics characters introduced in 1986 Dreadnoks Fictional Australian people Female characters in animated television series Female characters in comics Fictional con artists Fictional female assassins Fictional female warriors Fictional henchmen Fictional twins Villains in animated television series