QUEEN ZARTRA

Real Name: Zartra

Identity/Class: Human (Pre-Cataclsym era)

Occupation: Queen of Atlantis, former queen of Lemuria

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Kamuu, King Kamuu, Ocar, Zapal

Enemies: Deviants, Byron Hyatt, Lemurians, Nolem, Muvians, Katherine Reynolds, Son of Satan (Daimon Hellstrom)

Known Relatives: Kamuu (husband, deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Atlantis, 18,000 B.C.

First Appearance: Sub-Mariner#62 (June, 1973)

Powers/Abilities: As a human, Zartra was a powerful warrior, wielding a sword. As a spirit, she has demonstrated the ability to see in the past or future, and interact with others in her astral form.

History: (Sub-Mariner#63/2 (fb) - BTS) - Zartra grew up in Lemuria, and while still a young person, she spent her life in battle, surrounded by death.

(Amazing Spider-Man Annual#23/7 (fb) - BTS) - Zartra became the queen of Lemuria, but when that kingdom was conquered by the Deviants, she fled to Atlantis, which soon became the last human outpost to stand against the Deviant Empire. Zartra fell in love with Atlantis' King Kamuu, and married him.

(Adventure Into Fear#15 (fb)) - Zartra was present in King Kamuu's court as he exiled the sorceress Zhered-Na from Atlantis for her prophecies of a coming doom.

(Marvel Spotlight I#17) - Zartra was present as Kamuu interrogated the Son of Satan, Byron Hyatt and Katherine Reynolds, who had traveled from the future to seek out Zhered-Na. Kamuu informed them that Zhered-Na had been exiled, and Zartra advised Kamuu to get rid of them. Before Kamuu could have them set adrift, the Son of Satan destroyed their bonds and escaped with his friends, departing Atlantis.

(Sub-Mariner#62/2) - As Atlantis faced siege from the air force of the Lemurians and the naval force of the Muvians, Kamuu prepared Atlantis for combat. A band of Lemurian mercenaries broke into Atlantis, and confronted Kamuu and Zartra. The king and queen swiftly defeated their attackers, but other Lemurians had begun to drill into Atlantis' dome with machinery. Believing he had no other choice, Kamuu opened the Serpents' Heads, which heated Atlantis with magma. The lava which flowed from the serpents slew all of the Lemurians, but the scientist Zapal informed them that Atlantis had begun to sink.

(Sub-Mariner#63/2) - With Atlantis doomed to destruction, Kamuu told the members of his court to spend their final moments with the people they cherished, then sealed himself and Zartra within their palace. Kamuu and Zartra intended to spend their final moments dwelling on their love for each other, but Nolem, a mercenary who had hidden during the fight, emerged from his hiding place and stabbed Zartra in the back. Kamuu killed Nolem, then turned to Zartra, who gave him a jewel she had hidden in her eye socket, and placed on his sword's hilt, making "the Eye of Zartra...evermore one with Kamuu..." Zartra died from her injury, and Kamuu soon followed as Atlantis was destroyed.

(Sub-Mariner#66/2) - In 6,000 B.C., the spirits of Kamuu and Zartra appeared to a young Homo Mermani also named Kamuu, who had taken up the Sword of Kamuu after finding it in the ruins of Atlantis. Kamuu and Zartra used the Sphere of the Ages to show the young Kamuu the history of Atlantis, and its future, informing him that he would help his people achieve this destiny. After they departed, young Kamuu decided that his people should make Atlantis their new home.

Comments: Created by Steve Gerber, Howard Chaykin and Joe Sinnott.

Sub-Mariner#62, 63 and 66 colored all of the human Atlanteans and Lemurians with blue skin, but this was corrected in their other appearances.

The Great Cataclysm happened in 18000 B.C. Read it. Learn it. Live it.
Sub-Mariner I#64/2 states that Kamuu found the sword of his predecessor 5000 years after the Great Cataclysm, which would put it at 13,000 BC.
In Saga of the Sub-Mariner#1, Namor says that the Homo Mermani appeared about 10000 years after the sunk of Atlantis, which would put it at 8,000 BC.
In the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#1: Atlantis, the appearance of Homo mermani is dated as ten thousand years ago, or 8,000 B.C. Further, it states that they wandered as nomads for millennia, until 8,000 year ago, or 6,000 BC. It also correctly states this as being 12,000 years since the Great Cataclysm. Kamuu's founding of the undersea city of Atlantis occurred at this time.
In this case, we have to go with fact repeated fairly consistently over decades over the original story. Earlier on, the timing of the Great Cataclysm and the founding of undersea Atlantis was less well defined, so I'm going with it being founded @ 6,000 BC. --Snood

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Zartra should not be confused with:

• Zartra, undersea Atlantean, wife of Kamuu, @ Sub-Mariner I#66

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters