Real Ghostbusters: NOW Comics Volume 1 Issue 3

The Real Ghostbusters NOW Comics Volume 1 #3 is the third issue of NOW Comics' ongoing The Real Ghostbusters comic series. It was released in October 1988 and features an original story by James Van Hise with pencils by John Tobias. The issue centers on a chemical spill that spawns sentient swamp creatures and draws the Ghostbusters into a confrontation that turns out to be more ecological than supernatural.

Publication Details


Publisher	NOW Comics
Release Date	October 1988
Story	James Van Hise
Pencils	John Tobias
Inks	Brian Thomas
Colors	Rich Powers
Letters	Jim Massara
Editor	Tony Caputo
Cover Art	Ken Steacy
Previous Issue	NOW Comics Vol. 1 #2
Next Issue	NOW Comics Vol. 1 #4

Publication Details


Publisher	NOW Comics
Release Date	October 1988
Story	James Van Hise
Pencils	John Tobias
Inks	Brian Thomas
Colors	Rich Powers
Letters	Jim Massara
Editor	Tony Caputo
Cover Art	Ken Steacy
Previous Issue	NOW Comics Vol. 1 #2
Next Issue	NOW Comics Vol. 1 #4

The Choate Chemical Plant accidentally dumps a substance called HOS92 into a nearby swamp. The chemical animates the swamp into a shambling creature that acts on orders from a mysterious unseen entity, compelled to seek out more of the life-giving material. When the Swamp Monster attacks a local scientist named Dr. Diablo, a man named Ellis Johnson contacts the Ghostbusters and describes the situation.

While Egon Spengler, Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Winston Zeddemore investigate, Dr. Diablo attempts to neutralize the HOS92 residue using a new compound he calls GSMT. His intervention backfires: instead of breaking down the original creature, the GSMT spawns an entirely new race of purple Swamp Monsters. A battle breaks out between the original green creature and the new purple ones.

The conflict resolves in an unexpected way. The Swamp Creature reveals itself and explains to the Ghostbusters that both groups of monsters and the Creature itself share a single hive mind. They have no hostile intent toward humans; they only want to survive and gather the chemical that sustains them. The creatures collect all remaining barrels of HOS92 and depart. After the Ghostbusters leave, Dr. Diablo attempts to obtain a new chemical from another plant to resume his elimination effort, but discovers the swamp creatures have already vanished entirely.

Egon Spengler
Peter Venkman
Ray Stantz
Winston Zeddemore
Slimer
Dr. Diablo
Ellis Johnson
Swamp Monster (green)
Swamp Creature (the hive mind entity)
Purple Swamp Monsters

The chemical name HOS92 is a deliberate reference to House of Secrets #92, the landmark DC Comics issue that introduced Swamp Thing in 1971. The swamp-monster story structure reinforces this nod.
The compound GSMT is a reference to Giant-Size Man-Thing, a Marvel Comics title featuring their own swamp-based character, Man-Thing. The two references together position the issue as a playful tribute to both major swamp-monster traditions in American comics.