Ghostbusters: Tainted Love is a Valentine's Day-themed comic one-shot published by IDW Publishing in February 2010. It is the second entry in IDW's series of holiday-themed Ghostbusters one-shots, following the Christmas-themed debut. The story was written by Dara Naraghi, with art and lettering by Salgood Sam, colors by Bernie Mireault, editing by Tom Waltz, and cover art by Salgood Sam and Nick Runge.
Story
After the Ghostbusters defeat a group of gang-member ghosts at a local high school, Winston Zeddemore crosses paths with Tiyah Clarke, a substitute teacher. She describes a ghost that has been haunting her apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan (446 East 86th Street). Winston takes on the case personally.
The ghost turns out to be Ballard Wright, a prominent attorney who died in 1907. On Valentine's Day in 1905, Wright had proposed to his lover, Hazel Mayfield, in what is now Tiyah's apartment unit. She refused, and the widely publicized rejection drove Wright into depression until his death two years later. For decades afterward, his ghost manifested in the apartment and projected feelings of love and envy onto female tenants, attacking any male visitors.
The Ghostbusters attempt to capture Wright using Arm Mounted Proton Packs, but the capture fails. Rather than push for a forcible containment, Winston confronts Wright directly and persuades him to let go of his heartbreak and move on. Wright peacefully disperses. Winston later returns to the apartment for a dinner date with Clarke. The story also briefly follows Peter Venkman as he schemes to find his own Valentine's Day date, while Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler remain characteristically absorbed in the paranormal science of the case.