Zatara | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
First appearance | Action Comics #1 (June 1938) |
Created by | Fred Guardineer |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Giovanni John Zatara |
Species | Homo magi (current) Human (originally) |
Team affiliations | All-Star Squadron Justice League Justice Society Dark |
Partnerships | Nick Necro (apprentice) |
Supporting character of | Zatanna |
Notable aliases | Master Magician John Zatara |
Abilities |
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Altered in-story information for adaptations to other media | |
Partnerships | Kent Nelson (mentor) |
Notable aliases | Doctor 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.