Cast
One-Off Characters
Spike (full name Spikorouleusdennummale) is a red humanoid dinosaur-like being who first appeared in issue 15 after escaping his prehistoric homeworld. He sought the Ghostbusters' help against Nurtog, a tyrannical T-Rex ghost who had conquered his land.
Nurtog is the arc's antagonist: a T-Rex ghost who had been dormant for eons, with only a mental projection of himself capable of manifesting in the present day. That projection was what the Ghostbusters encountered in New York in issue 15. The real Nurtog, at full power, dwells in the prehistoric world.
Plot
The Ghostbusters and Spike prepare to return to Spike's prehistoric homeworld to confront Nurtog directly. Winston Zeddemore notes that the geographical evidence places this world near the North Pole, which he surmises could explain longstanding reports of sea serpents and the Loch Ness Monster.
Upon arrival, Spike is devastated to find his home destroyed and his people gone. He stays behind to hold off Nurtog's troops while the Ghostbusters push forward to face Nurtog himself.
It is revealed that Nurtog had been in a sleep lasting eons, with only his mental image projecting outward. Peter Venkman manages to wake Nurtog fully, which proves to be the key to defeating him: Nurtog's physical body has atrophied severely from centuries of disuse, leaving the tyrant far weaker than he believed. A cave-in then buries Nurtog beneath his fortress, apparently ending the threat.
Spike chooses to remain in the prehistoric world to search for survivors of Nurtog's conquest and rebuild his civilization. The Ghostbusters offer to help with the reconstruction. The final pages reveal, however, that Nurtog is alive within his buried fortress, setting up a potential return in a future issue.
References
- NOW Comics Vol. 1 #16 (December 1989)
- NOW Comics Vol. 1 #15 (November 1989), Part 1 of this arc, introducing Spike and Nurtog
Comic
