Voltar (G.I. Joe)

Voltar is a character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline and comic book series. He is affiliated with the Iron Grenadiers as Destro's general and debuted in 1988.

Profile
Voltar was a successful mercenary commander that grew too successful for his continued presence to be tolerated by the provisional governments, revolutionary councils, and military dictatorships that employed him. Destro feels that Voltar has the one quality he admires most in a general – luck.

Action figures
Voltar was first released as an action figure in 1988.

The 1988 Target exclusive release of Voltar is a double-pack with Muskrat. The packaging text specifies the two characters have a particular hatred of each other.

Marvel Comics
In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in issue #87. There, he assists in the defense of Destro's Scotland castle, when Cobra attacks, angered that Destro is a military arms competitor. Voltar had previously hid armored vehicles in haystacks outside of the castle, which is helpful later. The battle ends when Destro negotiates a truce.

Voltar leads a combined Grenadiers and Cobra faction in the fictional country of Sierra Gordo. It is infiltrated by Lt. Falcon, Shockwave and Recondo who disguise themselves as local slave labor. The Cobra facility comes under attack by the Oktober Guard who rescues "El Jefe", a political leader that Voltar had been holding. In the resulting battle, most of the Guard are slain, many Iron Grenadiers die, and the Joes and Guard survivors are captured. The effects of this incident continue into issue #92 of the regular series.

Voltar deals with El Jefe again, when he is one of the many heads of state to view a sales demonstration on Cobra Island. Voltar becomes wary of Doctor Mindbender and Cobra Commander at this meeting. However, during this event the original Cobra Commander returns from years of seclusion, and has many agents whom he views as traitors to his cause buried in the volcano of Cobra Island, within the confines of a landlocked freighter. Voltar is amongst this group, and he dies some time later, due to botulism from canned food that those trapped used to keep themselves alive.

Video game
Voltar appeared as a boss in the 1991 G.I. Joe video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System.