Plot
With Captain Kidd's ghost pirate army running loose across New York City, Phoebe Spengler and Sammy Velez slip away from the main group to seek out the captain himself. Their lead brings them to his old quarters, but locating the place is only the first obstacle: one of the two ends the issue in serious jeopardy. Meanwhile, Gary, Callie, Trevor, Lucky, Doctor Dan, and Janine Melnitz are left to contend with the larger pirate incursion on their own, dealing with equipment troubles and an increasingly desperate situation on the streets.
Cast
Entities
Captain Kidd: The historical privateer whose ghost has been unleashed on Manhattan. Phoebe traces his whereabouts to his old quarters, with the issue ending on a cliffhanger involving one of the two investigators. Historical speculation that Kidd buried treasure at what is now Liberty Island, visible from his Pearl Street home, is raised by Sammy during their search.
Kidd's Ghost Pirate Army: The spectral pirate crew continues its rampage through New York City. The imagery on page 2 evokes the gang of pirate ghosts in the The Real Ghostbusters episode "Sea Fright," in which a crew of spectral buccaneers caused similar chaos.
Equipment
The team continues to use the Proton Pack and Particle Thrower throughout the issue. Both Phoebe's pack (the design from Ghostbusters: Afterlife) and Trevor's pack (the updated design from Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) appear, as noted on the covers. Standard Uniform, Pistol Belt, and Ghost Trap are also used. The Ecto-1 appears in a scene where Trevor is working on the roof rack.
Items
Cursed Saber of Captain Kidd: The ghostly weapon tied to Kidd's manifestation, carrying over from the previous issues.
Twinkie: A box of Twinkies is visible on the floor alongside bags of Goldfish Snacks, Pirate's Booty, and Maribo during a scene between Phoebe and Sammy.
Locations
The Firehouse serves as the base of operations for the main team. Phoebe and Sammy's investigation takes them through New York City in search of Captain Kidd's old quarters. An Earthy/Crunchy Health Foods store is shown during the pirate incursion scenes.
Covers
Cover A by Matt Smith depicts Phoebe in her Ghostbusters: Afterlife Proton Pack and Trevor in his Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Proton Pack. Cover B by John Yurcaba features Phoebe again in her Afterlife pack; a street sign on the cover bears the surname Reitman, referencing directors Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman. The Kraken Ghost's tentacles are shown draped over a pirate ship on the variant cover. On August 5, 2025, Yurcaba posted a behind-the-scenes look at his process for creating the variant cover.
Development
On July 30, 2025, Dark Horse Comics posted a five-page preview of the issue ahead of its August 6, 2025 release date.
Continuity Notes
- Page 2: Two pirate ghosts stand outside a theater advertising "Pirates of Penzance," the comic opera featuring hapless pirates. Ray Stantz mentioned "The Pirates of Penzance" in Issue #2.
- Page 3: Phoebe references the cafeteria selfies she was subjected to in Issue #1. She also mentions Podcast and Ray, calling him "Dr. Ray" as she does in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Ray's reference to Captain Kidd's old home near Wall Street in Issue #2 informs Phoebe and Sammy's search here.
- Page 4: Sammy mentions the Red Lobster restaurant chain; Phoebe mentions Long John Silver's.
- Page 7: Phoebe reminds Sammy that he accidentally released Captain Kidd in Issue #1, and notes that Sammy mentioned being related to Kidd in Issue #2. Sammy expresses hope that Kidd left buried treasure, drawing on the historical legend that treasure may be hidden at present-day Liberty Island.
- Page 9: Callie's failed attempts to text Phoebe in Issue #2 are acknowledged.
- Page 11: Lucky is wearing the vanity necklace she wore in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
- Page 15: Trevor is zapped while working on the Ecto-1 roof rack, a parallel to Gary being zapped in the same spot in Issue #2.
- Page 16: Lucky references Trevor's meticulous "friendiversary" detailing plans from Issue #1. Trevor mentions Central Park.
- Page 19: Phoebe recounts Sammy summoning Captain Kidd in Issue #1. Sammy's capture by the captain, depicted here, is referred back to in Issue #4, page 14.
Also See
- Ghostbusters: Dead Man's Chest #1
- Ghostbusters: Dead Man's Chest #2
- Ghostbusters: Dead Man's Chest #4
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
References
- Fandom Wiki, "Dark Horse Comics: Ghostbusters Dead Man's Chest 3"
