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The Netherworld[1][2] (also known as Nether-Region, Underworld, Ghostworld, Spirit World, Netherdimension, Nether Real, and the Other Side)[3][4][5] is a dimension inhabited by ghosts and demons. It isn't just one world alone, it is capable of infinite configurations.

History[]

The Netherworld exists on its own dimensional plane like a sort of Limbo[6] and the size of the known universe.[7] It is full of demons, lost souls that couldn't make it to the higher realms, ghosts, and a dumping ground of sorts for all sorts of demonic creatures.[8][9][10]

It is said that you can only enter the Netherworld if you are a ghost and can only escape from it if you are a powerful demon.[11] In 1690, Heronymus was pulled to Netherworld when he tried to summon Arzun and Thole to do his bidding. [12][13] Egon once entered the Netherworld when he started to discorporate after he got hit while busting Arzun. On two occasions, the Ghostbusters have considered banishing trapped ghosts to the Netherworld as an alternative to putting them in the Containment Unit.

Different dimensions of the Netherworld vary in appearance. For example, when Egon's body was taken over by a Possessor Demon, Peter Venkman and a news crew entered a portal to save Egon's soul, the Netherworld appeared as a rocky, pink desert with a dull, purple sky, whereas another configuration inhabited by an evil version of Slimer was a bright green void with rocky platforms and many abnormal things floating around it. The dimension occupied by the Ghostmaster is filled with file cabinets, stacks of papers, and books - a paranormal bureaucratic mess. Each has its own set of natural laws. Some do not interfere with the standard function of a Particle Thrower such as the one inhabited by Tolay while others do and require some modification such as the one formerly occupied by Al Capone.[14][15] In theory, the Proton Streams could blow up the entire interdimensional structure of the space-time continuum if fired inside the Netherworld.[16][17]

According to the Selbert Theory, Nether Energy flows in one direction at a time. The Ghostbusters demonstrated this after they opened a cross-dimensional conduit in Gorgar's dimension. As a result, an outward flow of Nether Energy transformed Times Square into part of Gorgar's dimension. When Ray activated Strazinski's Magic Cabinet with Gorgar inside it, he set up an inward flow that reversed the effect of the outward flow.[18][19] Times Square was returned to normal, Gorgar was sent back to his Nether dimension, and the gateway was effectively sealed. The Ghostbusters were captured and teleported to a structure in the Netherworld where they were tried in a court, sent to a prison, and were to executed in the Armpit but they were saved by Janine, Louis, and Slimer.[20] Slimer directed Janine and Louis to an abandoned tunnel near the East River where a portal to the Netherworld opened at midnight and closed at dawn.[21][22] The Ghostbusters were teleported to Gorgar's realm through Strazinski's Magic Cabinet. They observed their equipment malfunctioning in this realm.[23][24] They took shelter in Gorgar's palace and met the demon. Soon enough, Gorgar chased them around the palace which just repeated itself in loops like a pan-dimensional matrix.[25] They managed to strike a deal with Gorgar. For a way back home, Ray would teach him a magic trick. Gorgar didn't have the power to teleport them home but knew of another way, which turned to be a cross dimensional conduit.[26][27] When the Ghostbusters and Gorgar arrived on Earth, the Nether Energy from Gorgar's Nether Realm was drawn through the gateway in mass quantities and transmogrified New York City. Unless sealed, the gateway threatened to engulf the whole world with Nether Energy.[28][29] Since the energy could only flow in one direction, Ray took Gorgar back to the Magic Cabinet and opened the gateway back to Gorgar's world. By doing so, he set up an inward flow to reverse the affect of the outward flow of the energy and restored everything back to normal. The Ghostbusters and Slimer were tricked into taking an ectoplasmic tunnel to the Netherworld and raced in a game conducted by The Phantom from within a sealed off parabolic realm of high density ectoplasm.[30][31][32] Thanks to the Frequency Emulator, Janine reopened the Phantom's portal and provided the guys a way home.

Notable Inhabitants[]

Trivia[]

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Egon's Ghost" (1987) (DVD ts. 10:00-10:01). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "He was shifted to the Netherworld."
  2. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Afterlife in the Fast Lane" (1990) (DVD ts. 09:30-09:31). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "The Netherworld!"
  3. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Jailbusters" (1989) (DVD ts. 06:56-07:00). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "I believe this is the Other Side. The Spirit World."
  4. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "The Ghostbusters Live! from Al Capone's Tomb!" (1989) (DVD ts. 09:08-09:10). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "It looks like we've been pulled to the Spirit World."
  5. Slimer (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Jailbusters" (1989) (DVD ts. 12:24-12:25). Time Life Entertainment. Slimer says: "Ghost World."
  6. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Egon's Ghost" (1987) (DVD ts. 10:27-10:30). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "The Netherworld is another dimensional plane. Sort of a limbo."
  7. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Egon's Ghost" (1987) (DVD ts. 12:36-12:38). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "The size of the known universe."
  8. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Egon's Ghost" (1987) (DVD ts. 10:30-10:33). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "Nasty place. Full of demons like the one we buster earlier."
  9. Winston Zeddemore (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Egon's Ghost" (1987) (DVD ts. 10:34-10:36). Time Life Entertainment. Winston says: "Not to mention lost souls who couldn't make it to the higher realms."
  10. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Egon's Ghost" (1987) (DVD ts. 14:29-14:33). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "The Netherworld is a dumping ground for all sorts of demonic creatures, remember?"
  11. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Egon's Ghost" (1987) (DVD ts. 10:37-10:42). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "There's no way in unless you're a ghost and no way back unless you're a very powerful demon."
  12. Heronymus (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Egon's Ghost" (1987) (DVD ts. 16:28-16:33). Time Life Entertainment. Heronymus says: "Aye, since the year of our Lord 1690."
  13. Heronymus (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Egon's Ghost" (1987) (DVD ts. 16:33-16:38). Time Life Entertainment. Heronymus says: "I foolishly tried to summon Arzun and Thole to do my bidding."
  14. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "The Ghostbusters Live! from Al Capone's Tomb!" (1989) (DVD ts. 10:34-10:40). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "If Egon's right and this is the Spirit World, then the rules of science might not apply."
  15. North Side Gang (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "The Ghostbusters Live! from Al Capone's Tomb!" (1989) (DVD ts. 16:47-16:50). Time Life Entertainment. Leader says: "This place works on magic. And the two don't mix."
  16. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Egon's Ghost" (1987) (DVD ts. 12:20-12:22). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "Remember, we're in a different dimension with different natural laws."
  17. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Egon's Ghost" (1987) (DVD ts. 12:25-12:30). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "Either that or it might annihilate the entire in-dimensional structure of the space-time continuum."
  18. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "You Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks" (1990) (DVD ts. 20:59-21:01). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "It's a perfect example of the Selbert Theory."
  19. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "You Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks" (1990) (DVD ts. 21:35-21:44). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "Basically, Selbert theorized that Nether Energy could only flow in one direction at a time. Thus, when Ray opened the gateway back to Gorgar's world, he set up an inward flow to reverse the affect of the outward flow."
  20. Ghostworld Prisoners (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Jailbusters" (1989) (DVD ts. 17:50-17:57). Time Life Entertainment. Prisoner says: "No...no...no, don't take me there! Don't take me to the... the Armpit!"
  21. Slimer (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Jailbusters" (1989) (DVD ts. 14:09-14:11). Time Life Entertainment. Slimer says: "Not 'till midnight."
  22. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Jailbusters" (1989) (DVD ts. 24:16-24:20). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "It must be dawn in the real world! The portal can only exist at night!"
  23. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "You Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks" (1990) (DVD ts. 07:18-07:21). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "Near as I can figure, we're in some sort of alternate dimension."
  24. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "You Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks" (1990) (DVD ts. 08:36-08:38). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "They seem to be. Though this dimension is affecting the equipment strangely."
  25. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "You Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks" (1990) (DVD ts. 12:34-12:37). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "This place seems to be a pan-dimensional matrix."
  26. Gorgar (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "You Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks" (1990) (DVD ts. 16:48-16:52). Time Life Entertainment. Gorgar says: "A gateway to your realm but only one of your kind may open it."
  27. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "You Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks" (1990) (DVD ts. 18:14-18:15). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "It was a cross dimensional conduit."
  28. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "You Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks" (1990) (DVD ts. 18:19-18:27). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "The Nether Energy from Gorgar's realm is being drawn from that gateway in mass quantities and it's changing New York into a part of Gorgar's dimension."
  29. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "You Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks" (1990) (DVD ts. 18:37-18:42). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "If the gate isn't closed, the energy will continue to pour out -- engulfing the entire world."
  30. Tucker, Keith (2009). The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection Volume Four Disc Five, "Afterlife in the Fast Lane" Storyboard p. 69. CPT Holdings, Inc. Line reads: "Int. Ectoplasmic Tunnel, Ecto One limps into sc..."
  31. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Afterlife in the Fast Lane" (1990) (DVD ts. 10:37-10:41). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "Hmm, we seem to be enclosed in a parabolic realm of high density ectoplasm."
  32. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Afterlife in the Fast Lane" (1990) (DVD ts. 10:42-10:45). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "He means we're like fish in a bowl."
  33. Straczynski, J. Michael (1991). "Censoring Children's Television" Penthouse Volume 22 #10 (June 1991), page 148. Bob Guccione, USA. Line reads: "For "Live From Al Capone's Tomb!" we were told, "Please [refrain from using] the term 'netherworld' in order to avoid allusions to hell, Satan, et cetera. Suggest 'spiritworld' as a substitute." That certainly clarifies things."
  34. The Player (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Slimer Streak" (1989) (DVD ts. 17:55-18:03). Time Life Entertainment. The Player says: "If you can make your way from this caboose up to the engine and stop the train before it enters the tunnel to my Ghost World, then you're free to go."


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