The Library Ghost (aka The Grey Lady, Gray Lady, Librarian Ghost) was the ghost of librarian Eleanor Twitty and the very first ghost that the Ghostbusters encountered. She appears to be a very odd reader as she likes to stack books up in the air. She was a minor character in the first movie and a major character of the Library level of the video game.
History
Ghostbusters
In 1984, disturbances were being reported as coming from the New York City Public Library. More recently, a librarian, Alice, fainted due to the disturbances. It is revealed that the trouble is coming from a ghost. A team of three paranormal scientists (Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, and Egon Spengler), are brought in to conduct an investigation. Based on eyewitness descriptions, Ray believed the entity to be a Free-Roaming, Vaporous, Full Torso Apparition. When the future Ghostbusters were about to act out Ray's plan to "get her", she changed into a terrifying form and scared them away. She was never seen or heard from again until 1991, though it doesn't mean that the Ghostbusters weren't trying to capture her again.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
In 1991, due to the research of Winston Zeddemore it was revealed that she was the ghost of former Head Librarian of the New York Public Library, Dr. Eleanor Twitty. A new paranormal threat surfaces in New York, and en route to the Museum, the Ghostbusters heard of a ghost outbreak happening at the Library, and stopped to settle an old score. Ray, in particular, is still bitter about their first encounter, and hints that they may have had trouble capturing Eleanor's spirit throughout the years.
While scouting out the archives, Winston discovers information (via a stack of old newspaper clippings) providing insight into The Grey Lady's history and ghostly purpose. The clippings reveals her history and the events in her life which led to her death (and becoming a ghost). According to the newspaper articles, Eleanor was seduced by a man named Edmund Hoover (also known as The Collector), who was a rather unscrupulous rare book collector. She was unaware that "The Collector" was just using her in order to get to the rare books in her care, including the Gozerian Codex. When she discovered her fiancee's true motives, she broke off the relationship and engagement. Sadly, dumping him all but sealed her fate and he murdered her in cold blood, in a secret section of the Library constructed by Gozer's infamous worshiper and architect, Ivo Shandor. Eleanor was the fifth woman to go missing under mysterious circumstances in 1924.
Winston relays this information while Ray, Egon, and the Rookie are chasing her (the information shocks Ray). During which they come across the Gozerian Codex, which being used as bait as part of trap for the Ghostbusters, however they manage to overcome it and continue their pursuit of her. They eventually find Eleanor in an underground room at a desk quietly reading the codex. Surprisingly, she allows the Rookie to take it. Upon taking the book, she disappears, causing Ray to believe they had helped her pass on (Ray gives the impression that after learning about her tragic murder, he got over his bitterness towards her), however she suddenly reappears, changing into her "scary form".
She uses the Gozerian books scattered around to generate an energy shield. The team eventually managed to destroy her shield and trap Eleanor, but Ray realizes that it was too easy to the point it seems to them that she wanted them to have it. While Ray and Egon are pondering this revelation, a portal to an alternate dimension opens up in the room. Egon reveals the portal is a result of the energy produced from their battle with her, which causes the dimensional rip. They surmise that Eleanor did this to lead them to the one who murdered her, a man now known as a powerful ghost calling itself Azetlor the Destroyer.
Player Strategy
Realistic Version:If the Librarian comes back after you took the Gozerian Codex off her desk in room where The Collector killed her and transforms into her monster form, first throw out a Trap, then use the Shock Blast to destroy the book stands. Then equip Stasis Stream to freeze her and when her PKE is down to one throw a Capture Stream on her.
Stylized Version: When you are in the room The Collector killed the Gray Lady, she appears in the air floating above her desk and changes into her transmogrified form. Throw out a trap, equip the Shock Blast, and destroy book stands generating her shield. If the Shock Blast meter is empty, let it recharge. Switch to Proton Streams. When fully recharged and there's no shield protecting the Librarian, use the Shock Blast and weaken her. When weakened enough, switch back to Proton Streams. Once you've got her in the Capture Stream slam her, then pull her into the Trap.
Realistic Version Information
According to Tobin's Spirit Guide
- Category: Class IV Semi-Anchored Entity
- Type: Ghost (must trap)
- Behaviors:
- Attacks: Range, Spawn
- Weakness: Proton Stream
- Dazed Duration: Moderate
- Trap Resistance: Low
- Special: Summoning books
Notes
Dr. Eleanor Twitty was the head librarian of the New York City Public Library and overseer of its collection of ancient artifacts, stone tablets, and otherwise forgotten parchments. In March 1924, Dr. Twitty went missing. The New York Police Department made every effort to find her, including repeated room-to-room searches of the underground library stacks where she was last seen but she was never found—alive, that is.
Now she wanders the stacks of the New York City Public Library still organizing books and keeping louder library patrons shushed with a bony finger to the lips. By most reports she is still the same quaint and genteel-looking woman she was in life. Aggravate her, however, and she will transform into a rage-filled horror, and heaven help you if you have any overdue books.
Contact Protocol
The ghost of Eleanor Twitty, also known as the Gray Lady, has been haunting the New York City Public Library for years. As the Library's head haunter, she uses several different lower-level spooks like tools. After you corner the elusive specter, she surrounds herself in a protective shield generated by several floating book stands. Target the book stands first and destroy them. As you do, fend off her Book Bats with your Shock Blaster. Once all flying lecterns are destroyed, target the librarian directly and disperse her PKE with your Proton Stream.
Manifestation Point
- New York City Public Library
Stylized Version Information
According to Tobin's Spirit Guide
- Category: Class 7 Full Torso Floating Manifestation
- Abilities: Shushing
Tobin's Summary
A standard paranormal event is the anthropomorphic manifestation. These are the remnants of people that probably inhabited the area where the ghost is now being witnessed. Oftentimes the person in question had some strong tie to the location or had unfinished business there. The spirit remains until either the business us attended to or it is driven away.
Egon's Notes
Her name was Eleanor Twitty. With all the havoc manifestations cause, it's easy to forget that a lot of them originally came from the psychic imprints of human beings. I don't believe that there's much of anything left of a 'soul,' or whatever at this point, but it's still an unnerving concept to ponder if you let your rational guard down.
Ray's Tips
The Gray Lady! Good job getting a clear scan of her, rookie! In this form, she's fairly harmless, but unfortunately she's also too elusive to actually trap.
Supplemental Data
The art page can be found in the NYC Public Library, during the "Hardcover Ghost Stories" section. It is hidden inside a book shelf in a room just before the second stairwell leading down.
Transmogrified Gray Lady
According to Tobin's Spirit Guide
- Category: Class 5 Transmogrified Manifestation
- Abilities: Codex Shield, Book Throw, Summon Book Bats
Tobin's Summary
Some manifestations have hidden reserves of energy either buried deep within themselves or stored in an external location, similar to the way ancient Egyptians used canoptic jars. When in duress, these spectres will often draw from this source to assume a more frightening form. Far from a scare tactic, this new shape carries with it any appendages and size advantages that its appearance implies. This is usually a last-ditch move for the ghost in question, though, as tapping the secondary energy source will drain it until it can slowly build up over a couple of weeks or months.
Egon's Notes
The librarian was one of the first manifestations we were able to get readings off of within close proximity. Her intensity was enough that I was able to use the measurements from her to structure our first containment system. I'm certain there would have been another manifestation to scan had she not come along, but I sometimes feel that we owe a lot of our progress to this free floating manifestation.
Ray's Tips
We're not running away this time! She's learned to draw power from those lesser codices to shield herself, so you'll need to burn those up first. As quickly as she's moving, the Shock Blast is probably your best bet for doing that and it will work on the Book Bats she summons, too. Once the codices are gone and her shield drops, give her a nice, large dose of the Blast Stream. Then you can trap her like any other spook.
Supplemental Data
The art page can be found in the NYC Public Library, during the "Get Her!" section. It is on a pile of smoldering logs in the Transmogrified Gray Lady encounter arena.
Ghostbusters (Beeline mobile game)
Tobin Spirit Guide image of Librarian in the Beeline game.
Tobin's Spirit Guide
The Grey Lady is the soul of a former librarian. But don't be fooled by her meek demeanor- she has a deadly throw.
Development
A scarier version of the "Librarian Ghost" puppet was created, but it was rejected for being too scary. (The film has a PG rating for language and scary moments that are unsuitable for children under age 8, according to director Ivan Reitman and actor / writer Harold Ramis.) It was recycled and reused for the 1985 horror / comedy hit, Fright Night, also released by Columbia Pictures. Richard Edlund and his team did the special effects for both films back to back.
Trivia
- In the 8/5/1983 draft of Ghostbusters, the Library ghost was the 73rd report of a ghost Peter, Ray, and Egon went to investigate while they were at the University. [1]
- In the script for "The Collect Call of Cathulhu," when Ecto-1 departed the Firehouse for the library, there was an exchange between Ray and Peter. Peter referred to the Library ghost in the dialogue. This was omitted in the actual episode.[2]
- In the episode, "The Haunting of Heck House," there is a brief dialogue between Peter and Egon regarding the library incident.[3]
Appearances
- Ghostbusters Template:Fa
- Ghostbusters: The Video Game (First identified as Eleanor Twitty)
References
- ↑ Aykroyd, Dan & Ramis, Harold (1983). Ghostbusters (First Draft August 5, 1983) (Script p. 6). Peter says: "Ray, in the past twelve months we have investigated seventy-two such apparitions and seen absolutely nothing and now you interrupt the most important meeting of our personal lives to tell me about apparition number seventy-three.""
- ↑ Reaves, Michael (2009). The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection Volume Two Disc Five, p. 3. CPT Holdings, Inc. Peter says: "I just hope Ray doesn't find another phantom librarian."
- ↑ Peter Venkman (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- "The Haunting of Heck House" (1990) (DVD ts. 07:37-07:49). Time Life Entertainment.
Gallery
Primary Canon
Secondary Canon
