Plot
Picking up directly from the prior issue, the Ghostbusters travel into Astorath's realm to rescue Shannon Phillips, the half-human boy who was taken there after sacrificing himself to undo the demon's global transformation of humanity into demonic creatures. The team is joined by Irena Cortez, a werewolf ally who had previously worked alongside the Ghostbusters in issue #5.
Inside the infernal realm, Nathanial Blaque, Shannon's teacher and a dedicated occultist who had served Astorath in hopes of earning a kingdom of his own in Hell, finds himself betrayed. Rather than the promised dominion, Astorath has confined him to a frigid, desolate wasteland. Furious at the deception, Blaque detonates a hydrogen bomb, an act that apparently destroys both himself and Astorath.
With the demon's destruction, the dark influence over Shannon is broken. He reverts to his normal human self and loses his demonic powers. Irena Cortez, moved by the boy's ordeal, offers to adopt Shannon as her son.
Characters
The Ghostbusters
The full core team appears: Egon Spengler, Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Winston Zeddemore. Janine Melnitz and Slimer are also listed in the cast.
Shannon Phillips
Shannon Phillips is a boy whose father is Astorath, a major demon. Pursued throughout the arc by Nathanial Blaque, he eventually sacrificed himself in issue #10 to reverse the demon's worldwide transformation of humanity, turning into a demon and descending into the inferno alongside his father. The Ghostbusters and Irena Cortez rescue him in this issue. He is restored to human form and loses his demonic powers. He reappears later in issue #19, assisting Egon Spengler and Janine Melnitz in freeing a troll from a circus. Shannon appears across issues #9, #10, #11, and #19.
Astorath
Astorath is a powerful demon from Hell and Shannon's father. Over the course of the three-part arc beginning in issue #9, he caused virtually the entire human population of Earth, with the exception of Shannon, the Ghostbusters, Slimer, and Janine, to transform into demonic creatures that worshipped him. He boasts of being more powerful than Gozer, whom he dismisses as a weakling by comparison. After subjecting Nathanial Blaque to punishment rather than reward, Blaque's act of detonation apparently destroys Astorath. Note: the name Astorath is a variant spelling of Asteroth, itself a demon figure drawn from religious and occult tradition. Astorath appears in issues #9, #10, and #11.
Nathanial Blaque
Nathanial Blaque is Shannon Phillips' teacher and a devoted occultist who served Astorath in exchange for a promised kingdom in Hell. Instead, Astorath gave him dominion over a freezing, barren wasteland populated by pitiful creatures. In retaliation for this betrayal, Blaque detonates a hydrogen bomb inside the demonic realm, apparently killing both himself and his master. Blaque appears in issues #9, #10, and #11.
Irena Cortez
Irena Cortez is a werewolf who inherited her powers from her parents and has a recurring alliance with the Ghostbusters. She first appeared in issue #5, where she was freed from criminals who had used a shock collar to force her werewolf form into committing crimes. In this issue she assists the Ghostbusters in penetrating Astorath's realm and, after Shannon is freed, offers to adopt him. She reappears in issue #19. Irena appears across issues #5, #11, and #19.
References
- NOW Comics Vol. 1 #11 (July 1989), Ghostbusters Wiki (Fandom)
- Shannon Phillips character entry, Ghostbusters Wiki (Fandom)
- Astorath character entry, Ghostbusters Wiki (Fandom)
- Nathanial Blaque character entry, Ghostbusters Wiki (Fandom)
- Irena Cortez character entry, Ghostbusters Wiki (Fandom)
Comic
