Roger Rotiart ("Traitor" spelt backwards) was a former member of the United States Navy who joined Hammerhead in stealing a US nuclear submarine. Rotiart was a slender man with light hair and prominent front teeth. He typically wore eyeglasses.
Rotiart was the only member of Hammerhead's crew that knew how to launch the nuclear missiles on the submarine that they had stolen. The hidden submarine was discovered by Dick Tracy and FBI Agent Jim Trailer, and Rotiart became nervous when the two men were brought aboard. He feared that he would be recognized.
As Rotiart was preparing to launch a nuclear missile at the international anti-terrorism summit being held on the island of San Luca, Tracy and Trailer escape from captivity and stormed the bridge with firearms that they had acquired. Tracy warned Rotiart not to fire, but as Rotiart's hand moved toward the launch mechanism, Tracy shot him. Hammerhead was later killed while trying to escape.
Notes[]
Rotiart's death was not explicitly confirmed in the strip at the time, but Dick Tracy's deadly accuracy as a marksman has been well-established, and there is little reason to assume that Tracy would not shoot to kill given the extreme circumstances. A later Rogues' Gallery installment confirmed that Rotiart had been killed by Tracy.
It was not made clear if Roger Rotiart had the same ideological motivations for his actions that Hammehead had, or if Rotiart was being financially compensated for his involvement in the scheme.
It was not explicitly stated if there was any familiar connection between Roger Rotiart and Stu and Lou Rotiart, who had been accomplices of Pruneface during the Xylon plot of World War II.
