Zatara

This article is about John Zatara. For the current Zatara, see Zachary Zatara. For the former Roman and Byzantine town in modern-day Algeria, see Zattara. For other uses, see Zatara (disambiguation).
Zatara
Zatara as depicted in Justice League Dark vol. 2 #7 (March 2019). Art by Álvaro Martínez Bueno and Raúl Fernández.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceAction Comics #1 (June 1938)
Created byFred Guardineer
In-story information
Alter egoGiovanni John Zatara
SpeciesHomo magi (current)
Human (originally)
Team affiliationsAll-Star Squadron
Justice League
Justice Society Dark
PartnershipsNick Necro (apprentice)
Supporting character ofZatanna
Notable aliasesMaster Magician
John Zatara
Abilities
  • Mastery of magic; primarily able to invoke supernatural effects by speaking the desired effects backwards
  • Extensive knowledge of the supernatural
  • Master stage magician and escape artist
  • Access to various mystical artifacts
Altered in-story information for adaptations to other media
PartnershipsKent Nelson (mentor)
Notable aliasesDoctor Fate

Giovanni "John" Zatara, simply called Zatara, is a fictional magician and superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938 during the Golden Age of Comic Books, making him one of DC Comics' oldest characters.

The character is often depicted as a stage magician who possesses genuine magical abilities and is recognized as the father of the mystic character Zatanna, and is the uncle of Zachary Zatara, who uses the "Zatara" name. Within the fictional DC Universe, he has made intermittent appearances, primarily serving as a supporting character to Zatanna and is typically deceased in modern settings. The character's proficiency as a sorcerer earned him a notable reputation among his contemporaries as a powerful sorcerer of his generation rivalling other such as the original incarnation of Doctor Fate[1] and has made him a mentor figure to others such as Batman (in escapology) and John Constantine. In the character's original conception, he was portrayed as Zatanna's human parent, while her mother Sindella served as the homo magi parent. However, following the New 52 reboot, the character's origin underwent a change, revealing that his family lineage also included a descent from homo magi.

Zatara has made various appearances in media, such as Batman: The Animated Series, in which he is voiced by Vincent Schiavelli, and Young Justice, voiced by Nolan North.

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