Characters
Equipment
Equipment appearing in this issue includes the Proton Pack (with Winston wearing a pack confirmed by Dan Schoening to be based on the Extreme Ghostbusters-era updated design), Ghost Trap, Containment Unit, NES Advantage Controller, Megatrap, Paranormal Containment Research Tank, Ecto-1a, Spates Catalog, Ghost Gun, Particle Thrower, Proton Pistol, and Boson Pack.
Locations
- Peter's apartment
- Queensboro Bridge
- Firehouse
- Times Square
- 550 Central Park West
- Temple of Gozer
Development
Development of Issue #3 was documented through social media posts from the creative team across mid-to-late 2011.
In June 2011, Tristan Jones revealed he would provide a variant cover for the issue, later clarifying it would depict the creature central to the story and would feature Gozer rather than the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. On July 6, Erik Burnham tweeted that Walter Peck would appear in both the main story and the supplemental material. Two days later, Nick Runge's variant cover was revealed: an homage to the band Queen.
On July 30, Burnham noted that new equipment would debut in the issue, describing one entirely new piece and two partially new pieces. On August 1, he confirmed the issue would address some backstory on the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man's capture prior to the events of Ghostbusters: Infestation. On August 16, Jones unveiled Cover RI, featuring Gozer, a new entity, and Ray Stantz.
Dan Schoening finished pencils by September 5. Jones had already hinted at a "Gozerian Terror Bear" on September 1, and on September 13 Schoening posted completed cover art providing the first public look at the creature. On September 23, Burnham teased that the Rookie from Ghostbusters: The Video Game would receive a mention in the issue.
On October 30, Jones revealed that Schoening had drawn Jones, Tom Waltz, and Burnham as civilian cameos in the main story. On November 9, IDW announced a second printing with new Schoening cover art spotlighting Idulnas, available December 21, 2011.
Following publication on November 16, Jones posted art from the P.C.O.C. section and Luis Antonio Delgado shared unlettered pages. On November 19, Burnham confirmed Ron Alexander's debut was deliberate and that the character would return. On November 23, Schoening confirmed Winston's pack near the end of the issue is definitively based on the Extreme Ghostbusters updated Proton Pack design. On July 14, 2013, Schoening shared roughs for unused alternate covers for Issue #3.
Covers
Cover A
by Dan Schoening
Cover B
by Nick Runge
Incentive Cover
by Tristan Jones
Trivia
The following easter eggs and references are noted page by page in the main story.1
Page 1
- Kitt, the car from the Knight Rider television series, appears.
- Actress Robin Shelby (Slimer puppeteer in Ghostbusters II)3 and actor Frank Welker (voice of Ray Stantz on The Real Ghostbusters)4 are depicted fleeing the Terror Bear.
- Peter Venkman's apartment from Ghostbusters II appears in the background of a news broadcast.
- The page layout is an homage to Action Comics #1.
Page 2
- The bar is visually modeled on Bob's Country Bunker from The Blues Brothers.
- The arcade cabinet in the bar is based on The Real Ghostbusters Data East video game.
- Three members of the Earp gang from the RGB episode "Ghost Fight at the O.K. Corral" are seated in the bar.
- "It's Milla Time," a phrase used when the Ghostbusters believed they had neutralized Gozer, appears on a neon display.
- A Sam Hain poster from "What in Samhain Just Happened?!" hangs on the wall.
- Ron mentions having his Ghostbusters franchise application rejected; the franchise concept was introduced in the original film and revisited in Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
- Antlers resembling Sam Hain's hang on an obscured mount.
- A Qbert arcade cabinet appears in the background, mirroring its presence in the Firehouse in Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions).
Page 3
- Ron's scheme of copying equipment from schematics parallels a similar plot in the RGB episode "Robo-Buster."
Page 4
- The Troll leader from "Troll Bridge" appears above the Ghostbusters on the bridge.
- B.A. Baracus in the A-Team van heckles the Ghostbusters as Ray fixes a flat tire.
Page 5
- Peter refers to the Jets; he gave a Joe Namath jersey to Oscar in Ghostbusters II.
- Egon describes Stay Puft as "Marshmallow Avatar," using the term "avatar" coined in Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
Page 6
- Drool from the RGB episode "Drool, the Dog Faced Goblin" appears in a trash can in the garage bay as Ecto-1a pulls in.
- Peter calls Walter Peck "Wally," echoing Ray's reference to him as "Wally Wick" in the edited-for-television version of Ghostbusters.
Page 7
- Janine mentions a talking gorilla, a reference to Tracy from the 1975 Filmation series The Ghost Busters.5
Page 8
- The Containment Unit design resembles the one from The Real Ghostbusters.
- The Containment Unit includes the fail-safe device from the RGB episode "Mrs. Roger's Neighborhood."
- The Megatrap is based on the Trendmasters Deluxe Extreme Ghostbusters line's Kylie Griffin Ghost Trap.
Page 9 (equipment room)
- The Spates Catalog makes its first visual appearance since being mentioned in the original film; outside the West End Games RPG, this was the first depicted appearance.1
- A yellow gun on a shelf is the Fermion Shock from Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime.
- The head of Ecto-X from Marvel's The Real Ghostbusters #50 appears on a shelf.
- The NES Advantage Controller that Egon used to "control" the animated Statue of Liberty in Ghostbusters II is visible on a shelf.
- The Ecto-Visors from the RGB episode "Cry Uncle" are on the shelf.
- The Ghost Gun from Ghostbusters: Infestation #2 appears on a shelf.
- The Spectral Glove from "The Magnificent Five" is partially visible.
- Weaver Theaters is a reference to actress Sigourney Weaver.
- Editor Tom Waltz in green, writer Erik Burnham, and writer/artist Tristan Jones all make civilian cameos; Luis Antonio Delgado appears in the background near Jones.
- Various RGB characters appear on billboards: Orwell from "No One Comes to Lupusville," Granny Candy from "Egon's Ghost," Samhain, Shanna from "Banshee Bake a Cherry Pie?," CynthiaCrawford from "Citizen Ghost" / "When Halloween Was Forever," Junior Ghostbusters, and a conductor from "A Fright at the Opera."
- A "Slime C" drink ad evokes Ecto-Cooler; Delgado's easter egg is the "15% real fruit juice" claim on the Slime C ad.
- "Stay Puft The Musical" is referenced, having been mentioned in Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions).
- A "Fantastic Land Opening Soon" billboard foreshadows the story arc in Issues 5-7.
- The Boo York Blimp from the RGB episode "Flip Side" appears.
- A Dr. Venkman Presents Hob Anagarak billboard references "Cold Cash and Hot Water."
- Dr. V's Protein Shake from "Venk-Man!" appears on a billboard.
Page 10 (second printing note)
- The Diamond order code for the second printing is SEP118150.
Page 11
- The Builtmore Hotel is a reference to the Biltmore Hotel, used as the Sedgewick Hotel exterior location in Ghostbusters.
- Marquess Armand's is the restaurant where Peter and Dana dined in Ghostbusters II.
Page 12
- Peter jokes about the variety of Proton Pack options, referencing the experimental configurations in Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
- Egon refers to the Rookie and his experimental pack from Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
- Egon notes the pack needs venting, consistent with Ghostbusters: The Video Game mechanics.
Page 13
Page 15
- Peter jokes about Ecto-1a eating people, referencing a near-sentient Ecto-1 from a late draft of the original Ghostbusters screenplay.
Page 16
- Ray's "Identify yourself" line is a variation of his greeting to Gozer in the first film.
Page 17
- Idulnas references Vigo the Carpathian from Ghostbusters II, the Gatekeeper, the Keymaster, and the Traveller (one of Gozer's many titles).
Page 19
- Egon references Zuul and Vinz Clortho from the first film.
- Winston wears an Extreme Ghostbusters-era Proton Pack with a signature Proton Canister visible, confirmed by Dan Schoening on November 23, 2011.
- Peter references the crossing-the-streams strategy from the first film.
Page 23 (P.C.O.C. / Further Notes)
- The notes clarify the nature of Egon's pack in the main story and reference Boson Darts from Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
- Tolasian Terror Dogs from the RGB episode "Egon's Ghost" are referenced.
- Tobin's Spirit Guide is referenced.
References
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
