Z-Van (real name Myron Vanzangler in the novels, or Myron Vanzel in the Dramatic Audio) was the lead singer for the popular group, The Four Horsemen. He was a minor character-turned-major antagonist in Left Behind: The Kids, and the main antagonist of the volume 5 of the dramatic audio presentation and a supporting antagonist of volume 6. He was described not merely as a celebrity, but one of the top ten superstars in the world. Judd Thompson Jr. recalls Z-Van being listed as one of the wealthiest men of the world.
Although Judd Thompson Jr. and Lionel Washington tried to preach to him, Z-Van, unfortunately refused to listen, and instead took Nicolae Carpathia's mark of loyalty, the first civilian to do so. He was given superhuman powers by Leon Fortunato, which included the ability to fly. Resurrection, a collection of Carpathianist hymns, was his best-selling album. At his concerts, he personally supervised the guillotine executions of Christians who refused to take Carpathia's mark. One such believer was Perryn Madeleine.
Biography[]
Before the Rapture[]
Z-Van went to church with his mother. His father left the family before he was born. His mother disapproved of his lifestyle and prayed for him. She often proselytized to him by giving him tapes of Christian radio programs and books about how to improve his marital life. Z-Van was married at least three times and was frequently pictured with Hollywood actresses in the tabloids. Just before the rapture, his mother sent Z-Van a box of material on the end times. She said that the world being as crazy as it is, it would not be long before Jesus returns (through the Rapture). His mother was taken in the Rapture. Z-Van is insecure about his given name, Myron, and choose "Z-Van" because it sounded better than "Myron" and it was hip at the time.
After the Rapture[]
Judd Thompson Jr. first found Z-Van trapped in the rubble in a hotel in Jerusalem. The earthquake happened after the resurrection and ascension of Eli and Moishe and killed ten percent of Jerusalem's population. Z-Van was wearing a leather jacket and designer jeans, with his trademark sunglasses lying a few feet away, unbroken. He was in Jerusalem in order to perform during the Global Gala to celebrate three and half years after the establishment of the Global Community and the signing of seven year covenant with Israel. Just before Judd found Z-Van, he saw a music store that had a banner that advertised "Meet Z-Van today!" where they can pay 100 nicks to receive a signed copy of Z-Van's latest album.
After Z-Van was rescued and evacuated, x-rays revealed hairline fractures in both his legs and feet. He was treated at Solomon Zimmerman's house with a doctor that Zimmerman knows. As he recovered, Z-Van said that he wanted to "pull a McCartney" by laying low for a year, while his legs recover and he works on new songs. Even though the news of Z-Van's "death" was eclipsed by Nicolae Carpathia's assassination, Z-Van's "death" was listed on the top of the entertainment news. Z-Van, however, broke this ruse when he held a press conference once his plane touchdown in New Babylon to attend Nicolae Carpathia's funeral.
Judd and Lionel tried to appeal to Z-Van by citing Biblical prophecies that already had come to pass, such as the Jerusalem earthquake, which the Bible even predicted the number of fatalities from that earthquake, as seven thousand people would die as a result. They also said that the Bible prophesied that Carpathia would rise from the dead. Z-Van initially thought that was ridiculous because "Carpathia is dead as a stump" (or as "dead as disco" in the Dramatic Audio series). Judd said it is not as preposterous because Eli and Moishe were resurrected and ascended up to the clouds shortly after. Lionel pointed out that Z-Van did not know that, but Lionel also said that he was there and that the GC would not be willing to show footage of it. Carpathia's resurrection did not convince Z-Van of the Bible's uncanny prophetic accuracy, but rather it only convinced him of Carpathia's divinity. However, Carpathia's resurrection convinced Z-Van's pilot Westin Jakes the veracity of Bible prophesy and he became a Christian.
After Judd and Lionel rescued Z-Van from the rubble in Jerusalem, Z-Van promised to fly them back to the United States, but Z-Van abruptly decided to visit New Babylon for Nicolae Carpathia's funeral, where they paid their respects and met Leon Fortunato. When they met Fortunato, Judd and Lionel wore Middle Eastern clothing so that they would not be recognized by the Global Community, especially when Judd spoke about the Gospel at his salutatorian speech at his high school graduation which Fortunato personally attended. Z-Van also met Guy Blod, a fellow artist who sculpted the statues of Carpathia, and said that he admired Z-Van for years. Once Judd and Lionel were at New Babylon, the mark of loyalty program was instituted, and they could not travel around the world since they cannot buy a commercial flight home without the mark of loyalty. Z-Van told his agent, Cyril Bernard, that Judd and Lionel tried to convince him of their religion, but that Z-Van instead let them stay with him for so long in order to convince them that the potentate is lord. When Z-Van confronted Lionel and Judd after he took the mark, he said that he did not give them up when they were at New Babylon because he wanted to make them "GC poster children" and prove to everyone that people like them can be rehabilitated. Z-Van then reported Lionel and Judd to airport security, but they were able to escape since Westin Jakes gave them advanced warning.
Z-Van receive the mark of loyalty in New Babylon with great fanfare as he was being taped for a Lars Rahlmost documentary on Carpathia's resurrection. He received the mark on his forehead, and the mark said -6, which is the region code for the United North American States. He was the first civilian to receive the mark of loyalty, after the mark was imposed upon prisoners and when Global Community personnel had the opportunity to receive it early. After he received the mark, Nicolae Carpathia shook his hand and remarked that he trusted that the mark would make his music even better.
After were kicked off Z-Van's plane, Judd and Lionel traveled Jerusalem, and tried to get home as stowaways on Z-Van jet as Westin Jakes was a believer. Westin was supposed to fly Z-Van to Paris and then fly away with the jet to take Judd and Lionel home. Z-Van discovered that Westin was a Judah-ite (a pejorative term for Christian) and intended to have him executed on stage at a concert in Paris. Judd and Lionel rescued Westin from execution with the guillotine, but that made Z-Van irate so he demanded that audience search among the crowd for individuals without the mark of loyalty so that that they can take it on stage or be decapitated. Perryn Madeleine was discovered without the mark and was executed, but he was able to testify on the stage and deliver a warning about taking the mark of loyalty.
During the onset of the heat plague, the fourth Bowl Judgment, The Four Horsemen were scheduled to perform at a concern late in the morning, although Z-Van does not usually perform in the daytime. According to the Dramatic Audio, the concert was in Amsterdam. Before the show was scheduled to start, the audience was getting restless and constantly wiping their faces and covering their eyes from the sun. When Z-Van appeared as the music started, the crowd could barely pay attention, and Z-Van could hear nothing but screams. Z-Van reached for the microphone, but he dropped it as it was too hot to grasp. He tried to pick up the microphone with a drumstick, but the microphone was fried. The panic resulted in hundreds of people being trampled to death before the first person was incinerated by the heat. Z-Van went to the back with the other band members. In Dramatic Audio, Z-Van recounted that Boomer, the lead guitarist, exploded on stage. In the books, Westin Jakes said that the Global Community did not report about the concert, but the Dramatic Audio had a radio report about the concert and the heat wave and featured Z-Van's testimony about it.
Z-Van was invited, along with other bands, to perform at the festivities in Baghdad on the occasion of a grand summit where Carpathia would summon all ten regional subpotentates for a meeting where Carpathia would outline his plans to defeat the Jews ensconced in Petra. This meeting would take place six and half years into the Tribulation, months after New Babylon was plunged into darkness by the fifth Bowl Judgment and rendered inoperable as a base of operations for the Global Community that they had to relocate their capital to Al Hillah, Iraq. The meeting was to be private, but the Potentate Carpathia wanted the public to see it as a time for celebration and participate in some of the entertainment.
During the sheep and goats judgment, Z-Van was one of the "goats", the unbelievers, and fell into Hell with the other millions of unbelievers who never accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and he was identified among the crowd on Jesus' left by his long hair and black outfit. While everyone was kneeling to Jesus and professing that Jesus is Lord in accordance to Philippians 2:6-11, he was trying to stand.
Music[]
His songs include: "Hoofbeats"; "Praying to Air"; "Resurrection"; "What More Does He Have to Do?" a song inspired by Judd and Lionel's stubbornness in refusing to recognize Carpathia as God after Carpathia's resurrection; and "Not Coming Back" a song (mentioned in the Dramatic Audio Series while Judd was in Marty Peck's house) about the violent and chaotic conditions of the world before the establishment of the Global Community and assumption of Carpathia as Supreme Potentate.
Personality[]
When Judd gazed upon Z-Van, he saw him as a skinny guy with tattoos all over his body, and having many rings on his ears, nose, and lips. Judd felt both contempt and admiration towards Z-Van, since he had no friends, even though he was great showman and businessman. Judd felt Z-Van's life was empty despite all the parties and concerts he attends.
Z-Van is conscious of his own popularity, but it detaches himself from any influence he has over his fans. He told Judd and Lionel that he was not trying to influence people for good or bad, but trying to make a living. He believe that he has to take advantage of the popularity he has now because it might not be there tomorrow.
Before Z-Van took the mark of loyalty, he told documentary maker, Lars Rahlmost, that he became enamored with Carpathia because Carpathia was represented something bigger than him. Z-Van remarked that all great art comes from being inspired by something that is greater than the artist that by appreciating it one is able to find what their life should focus on; great art does not originate from the artist himself. Z-Van said Carpathia's speeches blew him away because Carpathia exhibited a grasp for every detail of life and that Carpathia knows how to move people towards the goal of peace.
Z-Van often smoked cigars and drank alcohol. Z-Van had painkillers in his hotel in Jerusalem, suggesting that he was already addicted to them, took them recreationally, or that he struggled with chronic pain.
Z-Van is a devout Carpathianist. After The Four Horsemen landed their plane in Paris, Z-Van gathered the band for prayer where they held hands in a circle as Z-Van led the prayer, lifting his head towards the ceiling. Z-Van exhorted that Lord Carpathia empower them that they would bring more people to him that night. He thanked Carpathia that they can play a small part in advancing his cause.
Z-Van seems to have some knowledge of the Bible. Z-Van acknowledged that the name "The Four Horsemen" is derived from the Christian religion, specifically the material that he supposed was intended to scare him into belief and piety. When he was about to take the mark of loyalty, the workers in the mark application center cheered as he and Lars Rahlmost entered the room. Z-Van put his hands up and waved, saying, "I'm not the hero here. There is one much greater than me coming." Carpathia was about to enter the room and watch him take the mark. Z-Van seems to be alluding to John 1:15 where John the Baptist says that one greater than him is coming.
Appearances[]
- 24. Uplink from the Underground (first appearance)
- 25. Death at the Gala
- 26. The Beast Arises
- 27. Wildfire!
- 28. The Mark of the Beast
- 29. Breakout!
- 30. Murder in the Holy Place
- 31. Escape to Masada (voice)
- 32. War of the Dragon
- 33. Attack on Petra
- 36. Ominous Choices
- 40. Triumphant Return (death)
Mentions[]
- 34. Bounty Hunters
- 35. The Rise of False Messiahs
- 37. Heat Wave
- 38. The Perils of Love
- 39. The Road to War
Trivia[]
- Z-Van's first appearance was in book 24.
- Z-Van is American, but in the Dramatic Audio speaks with the accent of a "British rock star" stock character.
- Z-Van was killed during the sheep and goats judgment. This means Z-Van was the last named unbeliever from the Tribulation to die.
- Z-Van was the only named casualty in the sheep and goats judgment.
- Z-Van was married at least three times.
- His agent's name is Cyril Bernard.
- Z-Van was the only named unbeliever that died in Triumphant Return that was not an official member of the Global Community.