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.

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.

Like the very similar Mandrake the Magician, Zatara had a large East Indian as a friend/bodyguard, called Tong, to share his early adventures.

According to Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, "he fights Egyptian wizards, an evil Druid, Zulus, a Mad Lama, Mongol warriors, the Gorilla King, a Saturnian terror, and Moon Men".

At a young age, Giovanni receives a magic kit that triggers his passion for illusion and prompts him to pursue a career as a professional magician.

While attempting to translate Leonardo da Vinci's journals, Giovanni learns that he can use magic by speaking words backward.

[7] The character's origin was later updated, making him a descendant of the Homo magi, an off-shoot race of human beings with natural inclination to magic.

Xanadu, perceiving the Phantom Stranger as a person of questionable character and moral integrity, became angered by Giovanni's revelation.

Xanadu, considering the Stranger to be morally inferior, insulted Giovanni's fondness for him, nearly escalating the situation into a confrontation between the two.

As Xanadu had premonitions, her foresight came to pass with the birth of the bond between the Spectre and Jim Corrigan, confirming the validity of her earlier visions.

After the two were killed, Zatara left Gotham City, blaming himself for being unable to stop the orphaning of young Bruce.

[13][14] In Alan Moore's "American Gothic" storyline, Zatara sacrifices himself to save Zatanna from the Great Evil Beast.

[17][18][19] The character's ancestral heritage is primarily traced back to French and Italian descent, with notable connections to historical figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Nostradamus, Alessandro Cagliostro, Nicolas Flamel, and Evan Fulcanelli.