Zoltar was the main villain of the series "Battle of the Planets", an American loose adaptation of the Japanese "Gatchaman". He was based on Berg Katse, a Gatchaman villain. However the two characters have significant differences. Berg was a high-ranking member of terrorist group Galactor, trying to take over the natural resources of Earth. He appeared to be a normal human but was the result of genetic engineering, fusing together two fraternal twins while in the womb of their mother. As a result Berg was born with both male and female components. His body switched genders numerous times in his life. The process was involuntary in his childhood and teenage years. He learned to control it in adulthood and used both his male and female form as part of a series of disguises. He believed himself to be a superior being. He committed suicide when he discovered his creator Sosai X, an alien, had only created him as a convenient tool and others viewed him as a freak of nature.

In the American adaptation, Zoltar was himself an alien from planet Spectra instead of a human. His planet was invading Earth and did not employ human operatives. His female-half was changed to be a separate character, his sister Mala Latroz. Latroz being an anagram of Zoltar.