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Paranormal Contracts Oversight Commission (usually referenced by its acronym PCOC or P-COC, pronounced "peacock") is an overseeing committee created to supervise and warn the Ghostbusters if they are causing too much damage in their ghost capturing activities and can shut down the Ghostbusters' business if not taken seriously.
History
In 1991, the Ghostbusters were officially bonded contractors and expanded their business. During the Thanksgiving 1991 holiday, after the Ghostbusters' busts at the Sedgewick Hotel and Times Square, city council's concern for damages caused reached its limit. They ordered Mayor Jock Mulligan to place the Ghostbusters under close supervision for a period of no less than six months. [1] The Mayor accomplished this by appointing Walter Peck, the new head of PCOC. [2] PCOC was now assigned to keep them under control and keep the Office of the Mayor in the loop. [3] Peck was forced to deal with the Ghostbusters directly rather than shut them down and forfeit his new position.
PCOC sealed off the Sedgewick Hotel from the general public after the Ghostbusters' search for Slimer was completed. However, the posted notice made an effort to include the Ghostbusters among those excluded from entering the hotel. Egon Spengler dealt with the development by tearing PCOC's notice into shreds and the team entered the hotel once more.
Secondary Canon History
IDW Comics
PCOC was reinstated after the "Infestation" event in order to keep the Ghostbusters in check for the good of the public and best interests of the city. A temporary office was set up in the Department of Public Safety at New York City Hall. PCOC's budget was slated to come up for review in the next quarter after summer. On March 1, 1994, a technical report was submitted and authored by Peck, D. Aykroyd, H. Ramis, and I. Reitman titled "Identification of Biometric Security Measures in relation to the Containment Unit (Storage Facility)." Part of the report outlined PCOC was unable to access the Containment Unit due to newly installed biometric security measures that only the senior staff had access to. It was concluded any attempt to override these measures could compromise the Containment Unit and lead to a catastrophic outcome.
In the fall, Peter visited Peck's office without an appointment to discuss the Ghost Smashers but left without an resolution. The Ghostbusters and Ghost Smashers were soon summoned to Peck's office to come up with a solution for the Megaspook.
The following year, PCOC forced members of Janine Melnitz's new team of Ghostbusters to sign a contract or face criminal charges. An addendum in the contract allowed the city to license and merchandise imagery connected to any new Ghostbuster approved by PCOC. There were several conditions as well that gave PCOC more scrutiny over the team. Janine's team were required to attend personal appearances and press events at PCOC's discretion and PCOC installed a liaison to coordinate and prioritize case loads. After the Ghostbusters returned, Peck called the liaison, Jack Hardemeyer, to his office and fired him. After the Tiamat incident, Jenny Moran was hired by Peck to more closely liaise between PCOC and the Ghostbusters.
Scandinavian entrepreneur Erland Vinter revealed he wanted to buy the Ghostbusters as part of a desire to clear prime real estate of paranormal activity then develop it. Walter Peck and Winston Zeddemore immediately recognized the idea as a fraudulent practice. Nonetheless, Peck insisted the sale was not in the best interest of New York City due to the specificity of the Ghostbusters' municipal contract. Walter Peck instead negotiated a loan of the Ghostbusters' services to Vinter. Under the contract, Vinter would have exclusive access to the Ghostbusters for up to two weeks in any given month for the standard rates plus a 15% commission payable to PCOC for any profits connected to ghost removal services provided. [4] [5] Peck's compromise expanded PCOC's funding base, kept New York safe, and aced the Ghostbusters out of a buyout.
Janine and Jenny met with Peck in his office to discuss a request for reimbursement of nearly $400,000. Janine explained it was time-sensitive decision in relation to demands issued by Erland Vinter. Jenny reasoned the municipal agreements with the Ghostbusters established an emergency budget for use in prevention of foreseeable catastrophic paranormal events and okayed the charter jets to Chile and Japan. Janine and Jenny left, wishing him luck with the three sub-committees he would have to smooth things over with in regards to the budget. When the New York Police Department's officers are needed for security detail on investigations conducted by the Ghostbusters, they are paid triple time out of PCOC's budget. [6]
Known Employees
Primary Canon
- Walter Peck
Secondary Canon
- Walter Peck
- Denise
- Secretary, Walter Peck
- Jenny Moran
- Municipal Liaison to the Ghostbusters
Former Employees
Secondary Canon
- Jack Hardemeyer
- Liaison to the New Ghostbusters
Trivia
- In the October 8, 2007 draft, PCOC was previously known as the Department of Paranormal Activities. [7]
- During the scene between the Panic in Times Square Level and Checking Out the Library Level (realistic version), Mayor Mulligan refers to PCOC as Peck's "fiefdom." [8]
- The address to Walter Peck's office at PCOC is seen in Cover B of Ghostbusters Issue #9
- 260 Broadway
- Manhattan, New York City 1007
- On page 13 of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #13, it is revealed the Ghostbusters administers a PCOC fee in their bills.
- On the Dramatis Personae page of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #15, the Paranormal Contracts Oversight Commission is mentioned in Walter Peck's biography.
- On page 1 of Ghostbusters International #9, there are two nods to The Real Ghostbusters episode "Big Trouble With Little Slimer":
- In panel 5, right of Jenny's word balloon , the B.U.F.O. Receptacle makes a non-canon cameo.
- In panel 5, left of Jenny is the device Calahan was carrying near the start of "Big Trouble with Little Slimer" before Slimer slimed him.
- In Ghostbusters Annual 2017, on page 39, in panel 2, on the bottom left part of the cork board between Egon's legs is the Paranormal Contracts Oversight Commission flier the Ghostbusters find on the doors of the Sedgewick Hotel when they return to it towards the end of Ghostbusters: The Video Game, Realistic Versions.
Appearances
Primary Canon
Secondary Canon
- IDW Comics
- Volume 1
- Volume 2
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ghostbusters
- Volume 3
- Ghostbusters International #1
- Ghostbusters International #2
- Ghostbusters International #3
- Mentioned in What Came Before! Page [14]
- Ghostbusters International #8
- Ghostbusters International #9
- Ghostbusters International #11
- Alluded to on page 1 by Jenny [17]
- Ghostbusters: Deviations
- On page 37, PCOC is mentioned in the recap at the end of the issue. [18]
- Cryptozoic Entertainment
References
- ↑ GBTVGReferencePCOC.jpg
- ↑ GBTVGReferencePCOC02.jpg
- ↑ GBTVGReferencePCOC03.jpg
- ↑ Walter Peck (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #2" (2016) (Comic p.2). Walter Peck says: "I don't believe it would be in the city's best interests. We have too high a volume of ghost activity, and the Ghostbusters' municipal contract is quite specific - New York is to be seen to first."
- ↑ Walter Peck (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #2" (2016) (Comic p.3). Walter Peck says: "PCOC has negotiated a loan of the Ghostbusters' services in the past. I see no reason why we couldn't do so again. You'd have exclusive access for a prearranged term not to exceed two weeks in any given month--for the standard rates. Plus a 15% commission payable to PCOC for any profits connected to ghost removal services provided."
- ↑ Officer Mike (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #11" (2016) (Comic p.1). Officer Mike says: "We love working this Ghostbusters security stuff. Pays triple-time, you know?"
- ↑ Zuur Platten, John & Dille, Flint (2007). Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Revised Cut-Scene Script Third Draft October 8, 2007) (Script p. 51). Ray Stantz says: "Closed until further notice by the Department of Paranormal Activities, Walter Peck, Administrator of Affairs.""
- ↑ GBTVGReferencePCOC04.jpg
- ↑ Lucy (2014). IDW Comics- "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Issue #1" (2014) (Comic p.15). Lucy says: "I was told this was a ghost-free venue! We paid PCOC extra for that!"
- ↑ Dramatis Personae (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #1" (2016) (Comic Dramatis Personae). Line reads: "Currently working for the Paranormal Contracts Oversight Commission (PCOC) as a municipal liaison to the Ghostbusters."
- ↑ Walter Peck (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #1" (2016) (Comic p.19). Walter Peck says: "The Ghostbusters' operating agreement requires them to make the Paranormal Contracts Oversight Commission aware of any consultation or casework that may impact the city."
- ↑ Walter Peck (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #2" (2016) (Comic p.3). Walter Peck says: "PCOC has negotiated a loan of the Ghostbusters' services in the past."
- ↑ Ray Stantz (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #2" (2016) (Comic p.5). Ray Stantz says: "You're the PCOC liaison, and we're liaising right now!"
- ↑ What Came Before! (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #3" (2016) (Comic What came before! page). Line reads: "Instead, PARANORMAL CONTRACTS OVERSIGHT COMMISSION (PCOC) Chief Walter Peck negotiated a "Ghostbusters time share" deal between New York and Vinter that fattened the PCOC coffers and saw the Ghostbusters sent on a mission to Venice, Italy."
- ↑ Narrator (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #8" (2016) (Comic What Came Before! page). Narrator says: "Peter, Winston, Ray, and Kylie went to Ireland on an uncharacteristically personal mission for PCOC chief Walter Peck."
- ↑ Peter Venkman (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #8" (2016) (Comic p.20). Peter Venkman says: "Jen-Jen -- you better let PCOC know that we got something big in the works here and are almost definitely going to be billing the city for our world-saving rate in the near future."
- ↑ Jenny Moran (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #11" (2016) (Comic p.1). Jenny Moran says: "Trust me, I know -- it comes out of our budget."
- ↑ Meanwhile in our Main Series (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters: Deviations" (2016) (Comic p.37). Line reads: "Paranormal Contracts Oversight Commission Chief Walter Peck, however, doesn't feel a sale is in the best interest of NYC, and invoking the Ghostbusters' municipal contracts, makes sure Erland knows the company isn't for sale."
Gallery
Primary Canon
Secondary Canon
